First Conference of the Iberian Memory Studies Network

(RIEM, Red Ibérica de Estudios de Memoria)

Barcelona, 16–18 September 2026

Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona–CCCB

Confirmed Keynote Speakers:

Steven Forti (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). Historian.

Specialist in the history of fascism, nationalism, and the far right.

Paula Godinho (FCSH-Universidade Nova de Lisboa). Anthropologist.

Author and coordinator of several works on social reproduction, resistance and social movements, political uses of memory, rituals and performance, and the anthropology of the future.

Marta Marín-Dòmine. Writer and independent researcher on issues related to memorial representations. She was Director of the Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria (Barcelona, 2021–23) and of the Center for Memory and Testimony Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo (Canada, 2014–2020).

CFP:

The Iberian* Memory Studies Network (RIEM by its Spanish acronym) invites proposals for its inaugural conference, dedicated to exploring the tensions and dialogues between memory and emancipation as a means to rethink our past, present, and future. In today’s world, the concept of freedom has been appropriated by reactionary forces advocating for a negative and individualistic conception of liberty. In an era marked by multiple crises and democratic regression, ‘emancipation’ has once again become an urgent concept.

But what does it mean to emancipate oneself today? Who is seeking emancipation, and from what? What role does memory —both personal and collective— play in shaping this horizon? And what relationships and tensions arise between memory and the (re)imagination of the past within emancipatory processes? Emancipation implies transforming our relationship with the past and projecting new possibilities for the future. This conference analyses the link between memory and emancipation, conceived as a dynamic process that creates social structures capable of overcoming oppression.

Approaching memory critically not only illuminates historical forms of subordination, resistance, or liberation, but also opens up spaces to imagine alternative ways of living together. At the same time, imagination does not operate in a vacuum: it is nourished by memories, inherited experiences, silences, and fractures. The tensions between established memory frames —which shape and preserve— and imaginations —which displace, reinvent, and prefigure— can lead to new emancipatory processes. Drawing inspiration from recent debates, theoretical reflections, and artistic works, we aim to investigate how Memory Studies can illuminate the complexities and ambiguities of emancipatory experiences (real or metaphorical), challenge established discourses, and open up alternative ways of narrating the past and, consequently, imagining the future.

Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following questions:

• How can memories of crises, revolutions, transitions, violence, or resistance expand or reconfigure our notions of emancipation?
• What dynamics are activated when past emancipatory projects are remembered, re-examined, or reimagined differently?
• Which theoretical frameworks and new conceptualisations allow us to rethink the relationship between memory and emancipation?
• To what extent can certain forms of forgetting —strategic, affective, or institutional— hinder or foster emancipation?
• How do memory and (re)imagination interact in contexts marked by civil rights struggles, social justice, cultural preservation, or ecological survival?
• Can Memory Studies help us critically evaluate what we understand by freedom and which processes are truly emancipatory?
• How and in which cases must we emancipate ourselves from memory?
• Can we conceive of memory as a form of emancipation in itself?
• What role does the working-through of the past play in an emancipatory process?

We invite researchers and practitioners whose work relates to Memory Studies to contribute to this critical dialogue. The RIEM aims to promote interdisciplinary and methodologically diverse discussions regarding the changing relationship between memory and emancipation in contemporary societies.

We welcome various types of contributions: individual papers (15 minutes), full panels (maximum of 3 speakers), and roundtables. Each session will last 75 minutes to ensure ample time for discussion with the audience. Brief audiovisual screenings, presentations, or artistic interventions that fit within the allotted time will also be considered.

*Please note that the adjective ‘Iberian’ does not refer to questions related to the collective memory of the Peninsula, but rather indicates that the network is primarily composed of scholars working within the region who are interested in memory studies. We also warmly welcome scholars based outside the Iberian Peninsula who have some form of academic connection to the region.

 Proposals: Proposals —comprising an abstract of 250–300 words and a 100-word biographical note— should be submitted via this form by 25 April 2026.

 Languages: The RIEM is strongly committed to both transdisciplinarity and multilingualism. To facilitate academic exchange across the different regions of the Iberian Peninsula, this conference will accept proposals in Basque, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish, as well as English. The conference will include multilingual panels. The organising team is working on strategies to facilitate linguistic exchange and ensure that sessions are as inclusive as possible.

About the RIEM

The Iberian Memory Studies Network (RIEM) is a regional interdisciplinary forum dedicated to the study of memory in its social, cultural, historical, political, and psychological dimensions. The network provides a meeting space for those working in the field of memory in the Iberian Peninsula, aiming to foster the exchange of ideas and the development of collective projects. The adjective ‘Iberian’ does not refer to questions related to the history of the Peninsula, but rather indicates that the network is primarily composed of people working within the region. The RIEM does not intend to replace existing research groups, but rather to become the central forum for researchers from various disciplines with an interest in Memory Studies. As a ‘Regional Group’ of the Memory Studies Association (MSA), we aim to consolidate and expand the status of Memory Studies as a field of knowledge.

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You can join the RIEM mailing list via this link. For enquiries about RIEM or the conference, please contact: riem.barcelona2026@gmail.com. Please note that all conference proposals must be submitted via the official form.

Organising Committee

Stefano Bellin (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

Miguel Cardina (Centro de Estudos Sociais – Universidade de Coimbra)

Meritxell Joan Rodríguez (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

Patricia Georgina Rico León (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

Johanna Vollmeyer (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)