Lena LiepeView profile
Professor
Lena Liepe is a Professor of Art and Visual Studies at Linnaeus University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the Department of Music and Art. She specializes in Nordic medieval art, visual culture, and the historiography of medieval art history. Her research focuses on methodological approaches to medieval artifacts, the public display of ecclesiastical heritage, and the role of relics in medieval Nordic spirituality. Key projects include the six-year research program 'At the End of the World' (2023–2028), exploring apocalyptic imagery, and a digital humanities project mapping medieval saints’ cults. She is also involved in the Centre for Applied Heritage and Medeltidsforum Linné. Her work bridges art history with material culture, emphasizing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary methods. Liepe has authored monographs on topics such as medieval wood sculpture, stone churches, and relic use. Her awards include the Wallquistpriset (2020) and Gad Rausings pris (2019). She actively contributes to academic networks like ICMA and serves on editorial boards, including the journal Iconographisk Post . Her teaching includes Western art history courses and supervision of student projects. Current research interests include spatiality of sacred spaces and renewing art historical methodologies through world art history paradigms.