Declare Independence - Narratives and Memories in an Imagined Region

International seminar on the historical and current relations in the former Danish empire hosted by Denmark and the New North Altlantic at the University of Copenhagen. 

New aliances and narratives on the former Danish colonies and dependencies in the West Nordic region are taking shape, but how does the shared past influence the current relations, cultures and policies in Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Denmark?

Inspired by David Scott’s theory (2004) on the longing for total revolution that becomes an imperative in post-colonial discourse “Denmark and the New North Atlantic” hosts an international seminar at the University of Copenhagen November 5-6.

Empirialism and modernity, the geo-political momentum, marginal positions, gender stereotypes and nationalist narratives on purity and hybridity have shaped the relations in the former Danish empire. This will be discussed along with themes such as ultra minor literatures, archives in the Arctic, imagined geographies and processes of minoritization and majoritization.

Programme

Thursday, 5 November

09:00 – 10:00

Welcome and presentation of the project Denmark and the New North Atlantic - Re-directing the post-colonial

10:00 – 11:00

Keynote 1

  • The North Atlantic Rim as Cultural Space
    Silke Reeploeg

11:00 – 11:30 

Coffee

11:30 – 12:30

Panel 1, The Making of a Region

  • Arctic Strategies in the West Nordic region
    Kristinn Schram
  • Norwegian Arctic Strategy - Where have all the Sami gone?
    Ketil Zachariassen

Discussant: Silke Reeploeg

12:30 – 13:30

Lunch

13:30 – 14:30

Panel 2, Imagined Geographies

  • The Blue North Atlantic
    Bergur Rønne Moberg
  • Island Cultures
    Adam Grydehøj

Discussant: Martyn Bone

14:30 – 15:30

Panel 3, Purity and Hybridity

  • Powered by Nature. Nation and Authenticity
    Ann-Sofie Gremaud
  • Ethnicity, Purity and Hybridity, Contested Concepts in a Greenlandic Context
    Birgit Kleist

Discussant: Marianne Lien

15:30 – 16:00

Coffee

16:00 – 17:00

Keynote 2

  • The Spectre of Empire. From Commonwealth to Nation States in the North Atlantic
    Guðmundur Hálfdánarson

19:00

Dinner for project members and invited participants 

 

Friday, 6 November

09:00 – 10:00

Keynote 3

  • Performing Nature. Dividing and Uniting the Nation
    Marianne Lien

10:00 – 11:00

Panel 4, Gender and Bodies

  • Disciplining the National Body
    Ólafur Rastrick
  • Gender Stereotypes in National Narratives
    Kristín Loftsdóttir

Discussant: Malan Marnersdóttir

11:00 – 11:30

Coffee

11:30 – 12:30

Panel 5, Performing and Representing Heritage

  • Visualizing Industrialization as Part of Greenlandic Cultural Heritage
    Anne Mette Jørgensen
  • The allure of Numbers. Eugenic Archives and Collective Identity
    Ólafur Rastrick

Discussant: Mette Sandbye 

12:30 – 13:30

Lunch

13:30 – 14:30

Panel 6, Memory and Archives

  • Networks, Archives, Institutions. Creating the Region
    Inge Seiding
  • Encountering the Neighbour. Greenland in Icelandic representations - and vice versa
    Sumarliði Ísleifsson

Discussant: Kirsten Thisted

14:30 – 15:00

Coffee

15:00 – 16:00

Round table discussion: Constitutions and reconciliation

  • Malan Marnersdóttir, Ketil Zachariassen, Sumarliði Ísleifsson, Kirsten Thisted

Moderator: Ebbe Volqvardsen

Read more about the project Denmark and the New North Atlantic and see the Project website.