Call for Papers

The Making of Technocelebrity: Intermediaries of the Modern Movement

This colloquium investigates the emergence of “technocelebrity” architects in the 20th century, emphasizing the crucial role of intermediaries—such as publicists and intellectuals—in shaping their public image and influence through media and cultural discourse.

In a two-day colloquium, taking place in Leuven on September 25th & 26th 2025, and linked to the FWO-funded research project ‘The Rise of the ‘Technocelebrity’. The Politics of Social Expertise in the Public Careers of Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius’, we would like to discuss and analyze different cases both in terms of single intermediaries but also diverse perspectives of the role these intermediates assumed and played. Keynote presentations will be given by Eva Hagberg and David Kuchenbuch. The Scientific Committee is composed of Janina Gosseye, Isabelle Doucet, Hilde Heynen, Veronique Boone, Betto van Waarden, and Barry Bergdoll.
We welcome proposals for 20-minute presentations and encourage proposals on more obscure personalities. An abstract of a maximum of 500-words and a brief CV should be sent to technocelebrity.conference@kuleuven.be. by February 15th, 2025. For practical questions please contact natalia.kvitkova@kuleuven.be . We intend to publish a selection of presented papers in a theme issue of an academic journal (title choice pending). Travel and accommodation costs could be, within certain limits, covered. There will be a 20 EUR participation fee.

Deadline for submissions: February 15th, 2025