Simon O'Sullivan is a Professor of Art Theory and Practice and Programme Leader for the MA in Contemporary Art Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is affiliated with the Department of Visual Cultures, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of art, performance, and continental philosophy. His work explores themes such as mythopoesis, fictioning, and the production of subjectivity, with a particular interest in Deleuze and Guattari's theories. O’Sullivan collaborates under the name Plastique Fantastique, a performance fiction collective that interrogates aesthetics, subjectivity, and cultural politics through interdisciplinary practices. His research interests span aesthetics, continental philosophy, and modern/contemporary art, including ritual/performance, psycho/schizo-analysis, and non-philosophy. He has published extensively, including monographs like From Magic and Myth-Work to Care and Repair (2024) and Fictioning: The Myth-Functions of Contemporary Art and Philosophy (2019 with David Burrows). O’Sullivan’s work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing hybrid writing and speculative approaches to art and culture. He teaches on the MA Contemporary Art Theory and contributes to BA and MPhil/PhD programs, mentoring students in areas like theory-fiction, occulture, and care and repair. His collaborative art projects have been exhibited globally, and he frequently presents at international conferences on topics such as myth-science and speculative methodologies.
Dr. Caterina Albano is a Reader at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. She holds a PhD in Renaissance Studies (London University, 1993–1998) and specializes in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of art, medical sciences, and cultural theory. Her work explores the cultural history of emotion, politics of memory, and contemporary art practices, with a focus on themes like fear, vulnerability, and the unconscious. Albano is a prominent curator, organizing exhibitions such as Psychoanalysis: The Unconscious in Everyday Life (Science Museum, London) and Crossing Over: Art, Science and Biotechnologies (Royal Institution). She also co-founded the Art and Science Research Group at CSM and chairs the College Research Degree Subcommittee. Her research integrates curatorial practice with academic inquiry, addressing topics such as neuroscience, biogenetics, and the ethics of air in contemporary art. Albano supervises doctoral students in art and curatorial practices and actively contributes to academic discourse through editorial roles and grant assessments. She speaks multiple languages, including Italian, French, German, and English, and her work bridges art, science, and humanities to explore complex cultural and societal issues.
The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of LondonUnited Kingdom
Sarah Wilson is Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. She has been a faculty member since 1982 and has held leadership roles including Head of the Modern and Contemporary Section (2005-2008) and Head of Diploma programmes (2014-2015). She is internationally recognized as the English-language expert on Post-War European art and has held visiting positions at Paris-IV Sorbonne and the University of Versailles-Saint Quentin. Wilson was educated at the University of Oxford (BA English Literature) and at the Courtauld Institute of Art (MA and PhD). She was awarded the title Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1997 for services to French art and culture, and received the International Association of Art Critics' Award for Distinguished Contribution to Art Criticism in 2015. She has held visiting professorships at Paris-IV Sorbonne (2002-2004), École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (2006-2007), and University of Versailles-Saint Quentin (2012-2013). Sarah Wilson's research spans post-war and Cold War European art, contemporary global art practices, and the intersections between conceptual art, political theory, and visual culture. Her work extends from European avant-gardes to contemporary art across the former Soviet Union and Asia. She is particularly known for her expertise in French Stalinism, neo-Marxism and the arts, and conceptual art practices beyond the 'first world.' Wilson has initiated important academic programs such as the 'Global Conceptualism' MA course with Boris Groys, which connects Anglo-American conceptual art with practices from Moscow and beyond. She has also expanded her research to include modern and contemporary Asian art since 2013. Her extensive publication record shows a consistent focus on European art history with increasing engagement with global perspectives, particularly Asian contemporary art since 2013. Wilson's scholarship bridges art historical analysis with philosophical inquiry, especially regarding French theory and its visual manifestations. Her major publications include 'Paris, Capital of the Arts, 1900-1968' (2002) and 'The Visual World of French Theory: Figurations' (2010), with a second volume 'The Visual World of French Theory II: Interventions' in preparation. Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (1997) International Association of Art Critics' Award for Distinguished Contribution to Art Criticism (2015) Marie Curie Actions – RBUCE-UP, Chaire d'excellence, Université de Versailles-Saint Quentin (2012-2013) Professor Wilson has supervised 36 PhD students to completion and over 230 MA dissertations, creating what she describes as 'a unique English-language archive in the field of post-1945 European and global art history.' Her former students now hold prominent positions in major institutions worldwide including Tate, the British Museum, Design Museum, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, British Council, Centre Georges Pompidou, Kunsthalle Bremen, and universities across Europe and North America. She has received significant research funding including a Marie Curie Actions grant for her project 'Globalisation before globalisation: avant-gardes, academies, revolutions.' Wilson is actively involved with the Courtauld alumni's former East Wing Collection (now VS1, Vernon Square) and has contributed to the Research Forum's programmes. She has curated numerous exhibitions including the 'Global Conceptualism'-related projects and served on the curatorial team of the 1st Asian Biennale (China-Guangzhou) in 2014. Her commitment to women artists has led to early exhibitions of artists like Zofia Kulik and Alina Szapocznikow before their international prominence. She is involved with CCRAC (Cambridge-Courtauld Russian Art Centre), Calvert 22, and Pushkin House in London, reaching out to Russia and Eastern Europe.
Dr. Konstantinos Kalantzis is a Lecturer in Anthropology and Visual Culture at the Department of Anthropology, University College London (UCL). His academic journey includes a PhD in Anthropology from UCL (2010), an MSc in Visual Anthropology from the University of Oxford (2005), and a BA in History from the University of Crete (2004). He also serves as an Honorary Research Fellow at UCL. PhD in Anthropology, UCL (2010) MSc in Visual Anthropology, University of Oxford (2005) BA in History, University of Crete (2004) Kalantzis specializes in the intersection of visual culture, anthropology, and political imagination, with a focus on Greece and the Mediterranean. His research explores colonialism/postcolonialism, photography, ethnographic film, materiality, psychoanalysis, and rural societies. He has contributed to critical debates on crisis representation, Occidentalism, and the role of photography in documenting social imaginaries. His publications span ethnographic books, journal articles, and exhibitions, including Tradition in the Frame (2019) and the Citizens of Photography series (2021–2022). Recent work like "The Indigenous Sublime" (2023) and "Slippery Delight" (2022) examines visual ambiguity and pleasure in crisis contexts, while earlier articles analyze the debt crisis, tourism, and ethnographic film. He has received an ERC grant for the Citizens of Photography project, which investigates the camera's role in political imagination. His publications frequently address themes of displacement, crisis, and cultural representation through visual methods.
Dr Emma Bond is a Professor at the School of Modern Languages , University of St Andrews. Her work focuses on transnational literature and visual cultures , particularly the circulation of migration narratives, cultural artifacts, and colonial legacies. Key Affiliations : Academic Lead, Recollecting Empire Exhibition (2022); Co-editor, Transnational Italian Cultures series; Section Editor, Modern Languages Open . Research Themes : Migration, material culture, body studies, psychoanalytic theory, and decolonization in literature and museums. Scientific Awards : Philip Leverhulme Prize (2019), Associate Senior Fellow (2021), Sugaropolis Award (2015). Projects : Research Leave (2020-2022) for Curating Worlds ; Transnational Scotland Network (2019); Carnegie Trust-funded migration study (2017).
Dr Anthony Faramelli is a Lecturer in Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London, serving as Programme Leader for the BA in Fine Art and History of Art, and co-Leader of the PhD in Visual Cultures. He holds a PhD in Critical Humanities from The London Graduate School, Kingston University (2014). His research focuses on psychosocial studies, coloniality, institutional analysis, digital cultures, and psychotherapy aesthetics, with notable works including Resistance, Revolution and Fascism: Zapatismo and Assemblage Politics (2018) and The Mass Psychology of Fascism in the Age of Machines (forthcoming). He is affiliated with the Goldsmiths Centre for Migrant Futures and the Psychosocial Studies Association. Faramelli also consults for mental health and housing organizations, applying institutional psychotherapy principles in practice. Education: PhD in Critical Humanities (2014), The London Graduate School, Kingston University Research Interests: Coloniality, institutional psychotherapy, digital surveillance, micro-fascist movements, Fanon’s ethico-aesthetic paradigm, Zapatismo, and decolonial mental health practices. His work bridges psychoanalytic theory, political philosophy, and postcolonial critique. Recent Projects: Refugee Cartographies (mapping Latin American diaspora networks), and critical analyses of the Alt-Right and algorithmic fascism. He has presented at conferences such as the IV Jornadas Deleuze in Buenos Aires and the Université Le Havre-Normandie. Professional Roles: Editor of Deleuze and Guattari Studies , Executive Board member of the Psychosocial Studies Association, and consultant for Southwark Council’s Housing Solutions.
Professor Andrew J. Webber is a distinguished academic at the University of Cambridge, specifically within the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics. He is affiliated with Churchill College and holds the position of Professor of Modern German and Comparative Culture. With a career spanning several decades, Professor Webber has made significant contributions to the fields of German literature, film studies, and cultural theory. His research interests include modern German and comparative literature, German and comparative film and visual culture, cultural theory (particularly psychoanalysis, gender and sexuality), urban cultural studies, and digital humanities. He has led major research projects such as the Leverhulme-funded Cultural Topography of Berlin and the AHRC-supported Digital Critical Edition of Middle-Period Works by Arthur Schnitzler. Professor Webber has authored several influential monographs including Screening Work: The Films of Christian Petzold and Berlin in the Twentieth Century: A Cultural Topography . He has also edited important volumes like the Cambridge Companion to the Literature of Berlin and has supervised numerous students in their academic pursuits. Fellow of the British Academy (2019) Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship (2004-2007) AHRC Standard Research Grant (2014-2019) Distinguished International Visitor at UNSW (Sydney, 2014) Erich Auerbach Visiting Chair at University of Tübingen (2015) A respected educator, Professor Webber has been involved in teaching Modern German Literature, Culture and Thought at all levels, as well as Comparative Culture courses focusing on European Film and The Body. He has held leadership roles including Acting Director of CRASSH in 2009-10.
Dr. Darren Elliott-Smith serves as Senior Lecturer in Film & Gender Studies within the Communications, Media and Culture department at the University of Stirling's Faculty of Arts and Humanities. He currently teaches across all levels in film, television and gender studies, and holds the position of Programme Director for the MLitt/MSc (Applied) in Gender Studies. His research focuses primarily on representations of queerness, gender, sexuality and psychoanalysis in horror film and television. This work extends to curation theory in film and visual art programming, cult and experimental film studies, adaptation studies, and queer theory. His scholarly output includes a monograph, numerous journal articles, and significant contributions to edited collections across multiple academic presses. Elliott-Smith's research output demonstrates a consistent focus on queer perspectives within horror media, with particular attention to marginalized identities and alternative cinematic narratives. His work bridges theoretical analysis with practical applications through videographic film projects and video essays. Tutor of the Year 2018 (University of Hertfordshire) Professionally, he maintains active roles as Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Founding Member of BAFTSS Horror Studies Special Interest Group. His industry experience includes previous work as Film Curator and Programmer for the BFI, Mainline Pictures, The Odyssey Cinema, and as Film Manager for the Film Education Consortium for Hertfordshire (2007-2010). He is also recognized online as the Queer Horror Doctor through his digital presence. His academic journey includes a BA (Hons) in Communication Studies from the University of Sunderland, an MA in the History of Film and Visual Media from Birkbeck College, University of London, and a PhD in 'New Queer Horror in Film and Television' completed at Royal Holloway, University of London in 2013 under the supervision of Prof. Mandy Merck.
Chris Kul-Want is a Lecturer at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, serving as Course Leader for the MRes Art program and Pathway Leader for Theory and Philosophy since 2011. He has established the college as a major international forum for art theory and philosophy debates, hosting globally renowned speakers whose discussions are publicly archived. His research investigates intersections of art, politics, and philosophy through continental thought (Kant to present), Marxist theory, and psychoanalysis. Kul-Want bridges complex philosophical concepts with accessible scholarship via publications like Introducing Kant and Introducing Continental Philosophy , while currently exploring cinema-philosophy connections in an upcoming Columbia University Press book. His work emphasizes practical engagement with visual culture and critical theory.
Professor Daniel Katz is a faculty member at the University of Warwick's Faculty of Arts, affiliated with the English and Comparative Literary Studies program. His research focuses on modernism and its aftermath, with a special interest in poetry and poetics. BA (Reed College) PhD (Stanford University) His work spans psychoanalysis, critical theory, transatlantic literary studies, and multilingualism. He has published extensively on Jack Spicer, Samuel Beckett, and Ezra Pound, including the edited volume Be Brave to Things: The Uncollected Poetry and Plays of Jack Spicer (2021). Current projects include a monograph The Big Lie of the Personal: Poetry, Politics, and the Lyric Subject (Oxford UP, forthcoming). Recent publications analyze subjects such as sublimation in psychoanalysis, materialist poetics, and the politics of avant-garde movements. He is a founding editor of the Bloomsbury Studies in Critical Poetics series and co-directed Warwick's Centre for Research in Philosophy, Literature and the Arts. He supervises doctoral research in modernism (especially Beckett and Pound), American poetry, and critical theory, including psychoanalysis and post-Derridean thought. Teaching includes undergraduate modules like US Writing and Culture, Modern American Poetry, and Twentieth-Century Avant-Gardes, as well as MA options in American Poetry and Modernist Psychoanalysis. Office hours: Monday 14.30-15.30, Tuesday 13.00-14.00, and by appointment.
Dr. Priyanka Singh is a Lecturer in Film Studies at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds, within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. Her work centers on Indian cinema and emerging cinematic traditions from South Asia and the Middle East, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on feminism, post-colonialism, psychoanalysis, and subalternity. Her academic background includes a PhD in Film Studies from the University for the Creative Arts (2022) and an MSc in Digital Film Technologies and Production Techniques from the University of Bedfordshire. She is actively engaged in curriculum re-definition initiatives that promote Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in higher education. Dr. Singh's research explores women's authorship, marginalized narratives, and the psychosocial dimensions of cinema. Her interests span identity politics, decolonisation, documentary ethics, and queer cinema. She employs transdisciplinary methods, integrating Western and Indian feminist theories with psychoanalysis and religious ideologies. Her recent publications and conference presentations reveal a consistent focus on female desire, resistance to patriarchy, and the de-westernization of cinematic genres. She has contributed to discussions on eco-feminism, Dalit women’s representation, and the role of myth in feminist horror. Her forthcoming monograph Female Desire in Contemporary Bollywood (Routledge, 2024) is a significant contribution to the field. Dr. Singh is a member of several academic organizations, including BAFTSS, Visible Evidence, and the British Association for South Asian Studies, where she serves as Council Member and Co-Editor of a special edition of New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Films . Supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research projects in areas such as queer cinema, women’s representation, and practice-based video essays Actively involved in organizing international seminars and conferences on cinema and social justice Collaborates with student education leadership to align curriculum development with EDI goals She is affiliated with the Centre for World Cinemas and Digital Cultures and the Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute, contributing to a vibrant research community focused on global cinematic practices.
Barry Sheils is Professor in the Department of English Studies at Durham University, specializing in modern and contemporary literature with intersecting interests in affect theory, ecological thinking, and psychoanalysis. His research particularly examines W.B. Yeats, Irish modernism, and transnational poetics. Prior to joining Durham in 2016, he held fellowships at University College Dublin (Irish Research Council) and Warwick University's Institute of Advanced Study, following lectureships at Swansea University. He earned his doctorate from Warwick University and BA from Trinity College Dublin. Sheils' research explores: The interaction of literary style with ecological consciousness and meteorological themes Affective dimensions of modern writing, especially shame and anxiety Transnational exchanges in modernist literature Psychoanalytic approaches to cultural production Contemporary reformulations of modernist legacies in digital culture His publications demonstrate sustained engagement with environmental humanities, Irish studies, and aesthetic theory, frequently employing interdisciplinary frameworks connecting literary analysis with cultural history and philosophy. Honors include: Irish Research Council Fellowship Early Career Fellowship, Warwick Institute of Advanced Study Keynote at Swedish National Forum for English Studies (2017) He currently supervises four doctoral students researching modern literature and serves as Associate Director of Durham's Centre for Culture and Ecology. As Chair of the Undergraduate Board of Examiners since 2019, he oversees modules on post-war fiction, Yeats, literary psychoanalysis, and shame studies.
Dr Maria-Daniella Dick is a Senior Lecturer in post-1900 Irish and Scottish Literature within the Department of English Literature at the University of Glasgow, holding this position since 2013 after previously serving as a University Teacher in Modern Literature at the same institution and as a Visiting Lecturer at Glasgow School of Art. Her academic qualifications include: Bachelor's in English Literature, University of Glasgow Bachelor's in Law, University of Edinburgh MLitt in Modernities (AHRC-funded), University of Glasgow PhD in English Literature ("Dante …… Joyce. Derrida", AHRC-funded), University of Glasgow Dr Dick's research program critically intersects Literature since 1900 with Continental Philosophy , specializing in Irish/Scottish modernism through frameworks of Modernist Aesthetics and Theory of Modernity . Her work pioneers Interdisciplinarity and Intermediality approaches while examining Technology and the Humanities , with James Joyce and Derridean theory forming central pillars of her scholarly identity. This manifests in rigorous analyses of textual minimalism, political commemoration, and psychoanalytic structures within literary networks. Her publication trajectory reveals consistent engagement with modernist literary theory, evolving from foundational Joyce scholarship toward broader investigations of Scottish theoretical frameworks and late-capitalist psychoanalysis. The 2020 co-authored monograph "Late Capitalist Freud" and forthcoming "Joycean Minimalism, Derridean Maximalism" demonstrate her capacity to synthesize complex philosophical concepts with literary analysis across Irish, Scottish, and comparative contexts. Dr Dick actively supervises postgraduate research including Imogen Dobson's "Sex Work and the City" and Jian Ping Wang's "James Joyce and the Powers of the False", building on her own AHRC-funded doctoral research. She contributes to Glasgow's academic ecosystem through the Contemporary Fiction, Literature & Philosophy, and Modernities research groups, fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue on 20th-century literary movements and theoretical innovations.
Jane Rendell is a Professor in Critical Spatial Practice at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL) . She co-initiated and teaches on the MA Situated Practice and MA Architectural History, supervising PhDs across architecture, art, urbanism, and experimental writing. Doctor of Philosophy, Birkbeck College (1998) Master of Science, UCL (1994) Diploma of Architecture, University of Edinburgh (1992) Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (1988) Her transdisciplinary research explores intersections between architecture, art, feminism, history, and psychoanalysis. Notable contributions include concepts of 'critical spatial practice' and 'site-writing', exemplified in books like The Architecture of Psychoanalysis (2017) and Site-Writing (2010). She leads ethics research in architecture, creating the Practising Ethics platform and co-authoring key ethics guides. Recent article trends focus on: Feminist spatial theory Ethical urban design methods Psychoanalytic approaches to architecture Strike action's spatial implications Memory in built environments Site-specific artistic practices Scientific recognitions include: RIBA Research Award (2021-22) for ethics platform Provost's Education Award (2018) History/Theory prize at RIBA Research Awards Jane has supervised 22 PhDs to completion and currently oversees 8 doctoral candidates. Her work spans international collaborations and teaching workshops at institutions including KTH Stockholm, RMIT Melbourne, and University of South Australia.
Jane Desmarais is a Professor of English and Head of the Department of English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. She also directs the Decadence Research Centre and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Volupté: Interdisciplinary Journal of Decadence Studies . Her work focuses on 19th-century literature, visual culture, and Anglo-French cultural relations, with a specialization in decadence studies. She holds a PhD from Birkbeck, University of London, an MA from the University of Reading, and a BA in English from the same institution. Education: Ph.D., 'The Beardsley Industry', Birkbeck, University of London (1995) MA, Literature and the Visual Arts, 1840-1940, University of Reading (1986) BA Hons. English, University of Reading (1985) Her research explores decadence as a cultural and aesthetic movement, with notable publications including Monsters Under Glass: A Cultural History of Hothouse Flowers (2018) and co-edited volumes like The Oxford Handbook of Decadence (2020). She has received grants from the AHRC, British Academy, and other organizations. Research Interests: Decadence studies, 19th-century literature, visual culture, psychoanalysis, cultural history, and interdisciplinary approaches to aesthetics. Awards: Academia Europaea Membership (2021) Honorary Member, Italian Oscar Wilde Society Desmarais chairs the British Association of Decadence Studies (BADS) and co-organizes international conferences on decadence, such as Aesthetic Time, Decadent Archives (2019). She also contributes to the Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham project and engages with contemporary debates on decadence's relevance. Labs/Teams: Decadence Research Centre, Decadence and Translation Network, Aestheticism and Decadence Network.
