Addressing the themes of restoration and rebirth in and through adaptation, the conference will explore how texts, stories, histories, artifacts, cultural products, and spaces are transformed as they travel across different media, genres and cultural landscapes and what these transformations reveal about the production of cultural meaning as well as the impact of cross-cultural exchanges.
One of the themes we will particularly focus on is restoration; its traditional function in maintaining the integrity and value of cultural texts and adapted works of literature, film, television, and digital media, as well the part it plays in shaping their reception, authenticity, and continued relevance in contemporary restoration practices—ranging from the re-edition and re-translation of classic texts to revivals of classic films to the digitization and preservation of fragile media as well as spatial adaptations and restorations.
Followingly, we will also focus on the theme of re-birth and discuss the ways in which all these processes of adaptation and restoration breathe new life into narratives, genres, and cultural products, inspire a radical break from old ways of thinking about existing texts, spaces, and media, and contribute to the renewal of cultural heritage and the reimagining of stories within the ever-evolving tapestry of contemporary contexts.