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Nora Fernandez Fernandez
Tomorrow and the day after, April 18 and 19, the Rey Juan Carlos University is hosting a conference on iconoclasm, organized by the Department of Historical and Social Studies, Spanish Language, Literature, Moral Philosophy and Specific Didactics.
The word iconoclasm, according to what Ángel Pazos-López, coordinator of the event, tells us, “comes from the Greek 'eikon' (image) and 'klastos' (rupture, break), and it means exactly that, the images that are destroyed throughout of history to change the memory of society”.
Researcher Doctor "Margarita Salas" destined for the URJC, Pazos emphasizes the "importance that images and visual culture have in the construction of the past and present." For this reason, in the conferences, “the problem of what to do with the images of, for example, dictators will be addressed. Should we destroy them, give them a specific context, delete them...? Throughout history, the people who have held power have used images to change the perception of the past and that is the central axis of this event”.
These issues and many others will be addressed in the sessions 'Iconoclastia. Visual culture in the rupture of memory', held in the Hall of Degrees of Departmental I of the Fuenlabrada campus. The event will be attended by various experts from different fields of knowledge such as History, Art History, Journalism, Visual Culture or Communication.
“This is one of the first activities of the Interdisciplinary Studies area of the new faculty, and it precisely responds perfectly to the focus of this type of research,” says Pazos-López. "In this sense, we are very happy to belong to this faculty and we must thank the dean, Fernando del Villar, and the vice-dean for Culture and Communication, Inmaculada Cobos, for all the support they have given us for the development of the activity”, he specified. "Likewise, the activity is also coordinated by Agustín Martínez Peláez, as director of the Department of Historical Studies and promoter of the proposal."
The activity has the registration of more than 100 students, which Pazos-López considers "a total success." “The students belong to different careers, with which we see that this call for interdisciplinarity has been achieved. We are very happy that the conferences have such a significant impact and we hope that this is a sign that this faculty will play a very important role at the Rey Juan Carlos University”, adds the researcher.
To consult the complete program of the activity, which will have a recognition of 1,1 ECTS for attendees, you can visit the following link: 'Iconoclasm. Visual culture in the rupture of memory'