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Dorine Schellens
University Lecturer
- Name
- Dr. D.E.A. Schellens
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 6553
- d.e.a.schellens@hum.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0002-0026-9435
Dorine Schellens is a university lecturer at the Centre for the Arts in Society with expertise on contemporary Russian and German literature and culture.
Fields of interest
- Russian literature and art under late socialism and post-socialism
- Contemporary German literature and culture
- Art and politics
- Cultural history and theory
- Supporting students and scholars at risk
Research
Current research projects
My current research focuses on imagined futures in contemporary Russian and Eastern German literature and art as media that reflect and shape societal discourses on change in the post-communist region.
My research intersects with my involvement in a project that support students, scholars, and cultural workers at risk. The University of New Europe is an academic institution in the making which will offer research, teaching, and dialogue on European politics, culture, society, and climate in a global perspective. In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the team behind this project is also engaged in supporting scholars, students, and cultural workers at risk with a mentoring network and an open access database of emergency opportunities.
Together with Dr. Otto Boele (Leiden University), I edit a volume on Reading Russian Literature, 1980–2020: Literary Consumption, Memory and Identity, which deals with the nexus between literary consumption and collective identity formation in Russia from the 1980s until today.
I also publish on Russian protest art, literature, and popular culture since the early 2000s, with a focus on the work of Kirill Medvedev, Roman Osminkin, and Pavel Arsen’ev.
PhD research
Kanonbildung im transkulturellen Netzwerk. Die Rezeptionsgeschichte des Moskauer Konzeptualismus aus deutsch-russischer Sicht (transcript Verlag, 2021)
How did a circle of Soviet artists and writers virtually unknown until perestroika turn into Russia’s most influential contemporary art movement? This book reconstructs the cultural history and canonization of a group of painters and poets known as the Moscow conceptualists, who paradoxically did not perceive themselves as a movement before their intense reception in the international and post-Soviet art world in the 1990s.
Today, Moscow conceptualism does not just figure prominently in art histories and museums, but also continues to inspire a new generation of Russian artists, ranging from the streetwear designer Gosha Rubchinskiy to the protest art collective Pussy Riot. This book retraces the reasons for the international popularity of this group by developing a new methodological framework that enables us to study canon formation as a transnational rather than national process. Combining insights from network theory, cultural transfer studies, and reception history, the analysis reconstructs the circulation of actors, artworks, and ideas in a transnational network across Russia, Europe and the US from the 1970s until today. By focusing on the migration and translation of knowledge between different cultures as well as areas of society such as the art scene, the museum world, and academia, the book offers a contribution to pressing debates on the need to rethink processes of canonization.
For contributions on this topic in English, I refer to my blog post (“Rumor or Reality? Moscow Conceptualism as a Challenge for Our Contemporary Art Canon”, 2019) and talk (“‘I Live – I See’: The Role of Moscow Conceptualism in Memory Debates About the Soviet Past”, 2020).
CV
Education
- 2015–2018: PhD candidate at the International Graduate School 1956: Cultural Transfer and Cultural Identity: Russian-German Contacts in the European Context, University of Freiburg/Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow. I received my PhD Kanonbildung im transkulturellen Netzwerk: Die Rezeptionsgeschichte des Moskauer Konzeptualismus aus deutsch-russischer Sicht summa cum laude. This study was published at transcript Verlag in 2021. A short English summary is available here.
- 2013–2015: Master of Arts in European Literatures and Cultures, University of Freiburg (summa cum laude)
- 2011–2012: Erasmus stay at the Free University of Berlin, Institute of German and Dutch Languages and Literatures (winter semester)
- 2010–2013: Bachelor of Arts in Russian Studies, Leiden University (cum laude)
- 2009–2013: Bachelor of Arts in German Language and Culture, Leiden University (cum laude)
Teaching activities
I teach courses in the BA German Language and Culture, BA International Studies (specialization: Russia and Eurasia), MA Literary Studies, and the Minor Disinformation and Strategic Communication in Global Media.
Grants and awards
- PhD position at the International Graduate School 1956: Cultural Transfer and Cultural Identity at the University of Freiburg/Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), 2015–2018.
- Alumni Award for MA thesis at the Faculty of Philology, University of Freiburg, October 2016.
University Lecturer
- Faculty of Humanities
- Centre for the Arts in Society
- Duitse T&L
- Robbe K. & Schellens D. (2024), ‘Every entry should be the last’: archiving the war and producing implicated publics in Yevgenia Belorusets’ A wartime diary (2022), Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies : .
- Rutten E. & Schellens D.E.A. (2 September 2023), Opinie: ‘Het is tijd dat Nederland zorgt voor meer gastvrijheid in de academische wereld’. Het Parool.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2023), Sein oder Nichtsein: transnationale Literaturzirkulation als Netzwerkanalyse am Beispiel von Vsevolod Nekrasovs Dojče Buch (2002). In: Gamper M., Müller-Tamm J., Wachter D. & Wrobel J. (Eds.), Der Wert der literarischen Zirkulation / The value of literary circulation. Globalisierte Literaturen. Theorie und Geschichte transnationaler Buchkultur / Globalized Literatures. Theory and History of Transnational Book Culture. Berlin/Heidelberg: J.B. Metzler. 237–251.
- Noordenbos B., Peek E., Hahn G.J. & Schellens D.E.A. (2022), Oekraïne en Rusland: De verbeelding van een regio. Narratieven. [other].
- Schellens D.E.A. (2022), De oorlog in de literatuur: Lisa Weeda’s familiegeschiedenis Aleksandra (2021): Symposium Oekraïne in beeld, woord en klank. Symposium Oekraïne in beeld, woord en klank 11 March 2022 - 11 March 2022. Leiden.
- Rutten E. & Schellens D.E.A. (17 June 2022), De oorlog in Oekraïne als kenniscrisis: Hoe kunnen we steun en solidariteit bieden aan academische gemeenschappen in nood?. Over de Muur. Dutch blog for historical innovation, history & current affairs. Leiden. [blog entry].
- Schellens D.E.A. (2022), Emergency Opportunities for Students, Scholars and Cultural Workers at Risk. [database].
- Labov J., Schellens D.E.A., Seegel S. & Scheibner T. (2022), Digital Advocacy: Aggregation and Networking for Displaced Scholars (roundtable). 54th ASEEES Annual Convention 10 November 2022 - 13 November 2022. Chicago: 54th ASEEES Annual Convention.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2022), The Dialectic in Dialogic Memories of the 1990-2000s in Russia: The work of Kirill Medvedev. Dialogic Memories of the 1970-90s ‘Transitions’ Across the World: Current Practices and Possible Solidarities 11 July 2022 - 12 July 2022. Online, 11/07/2022-12/07/2022: Dialogic Memories of the 1970-90s ‘Transitions’ Across the World: Current Practices and Possible Solidarities .
- Schellens D.E.A. (2022), 'Where Is the Line Between Us?' Studying the Transnational Reception History of Moscow Conceptualism with Network Analysis. 54th ASEEES Annual Convention 10 November 2022 - 13 November 2022. Chicago: 54th ASEEES Annual Convention.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2022), Alternativen? Zum (Un)vermögen politischer Lyrik im Werk des Laboratoriums für poetischen Aktionismus: 14. Deutscher Slavistiktag 2022. 14. Deutscher Slavistiktag 2022 21 September 2022 - 24 September 2022. Bochum.
- Boele O., Schellens D.E.A., Noordenbos B. & Robbe K. (2022), Imagining Collective Selves in Turn-of-the-Millennium Russia. Literary Consumption, Memory and Identity (1980–2020): 10th Meeting of the Slavic and East European Studies in the Low Countries. 10th Meeting of the Slavic and East European Studies in the Low Countries 4 April 2022 - 6 April 2022. Groningen.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2022), Alternative Futures? Russia’s 1990s as a Reservoir for Change: 10th Meeting of the Slavic and East European Studies in the Low Countries. 10th Meeting of the Slavic and East European Studies in the Low Countries 4 April 2022 - 6 April 2022. Groningen.
- Rutten E., Behrends J.C., Etkind A., Gusejnova D., Makhortykh M., Pető A., Schmädeke P.C. & Schellens D.E.A. (2022), The University of New Europe and the Science at Risk Emergency Office (project presentation): DGO-Congress of Central and East European Studies. Berlin.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2021), The Role of Exhibitions in the Reception History of Moscow Conceptualism: Counter-)Archive: Memorial Practices of the Soviet Underground. (Counter-)Archive: Memorial Practices of the Soviet Underground 13 October 2021 - 16 October 2021. Dresden.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2021), The Role of Exhibitions in the Reception History of Moscow Conceptualism. (Counter-)Archive: Memorial Practices of the Soviet Underground 13 October 2021 - 16 October 2021. Technische Universität Dresden.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2021), Op zoek naar de verloren herinnering: reizen tussen culturen en verledens in hedendaagse Russisch-Duitse literatuur, Armada: tijdschrift voor wereldliteratuur 20(73): 16.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2021), Kanonbildung im transkulturellen Netzwerk. Die Rezeptionsgeschichte des Moskauer Konzeptualismus aus deutsch-russischer Sicht no. 244. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2020), "Where Is the Line Between Us?" Studying the Transnational Canon with Network Analysis. Engagements with the Contemporary: The Humanities in, on, and beyond Crises 26 October 2020 - 26 October 2020.
- Roest F.A. de & Schellens D.E.A. (9 April 2020), Braving the Storm: Chaos as a Symbol of Violence and Optimism in Kate Tempest’s Let Them Eat Chaos. Leiden Arts in Society Blog. Leiden University. [blog entry].
- Schellens D.E.A. (2020), 'I Live - I See': The Role of Moscow Conceptualism in Memory Debates About the Soviet Past. 1st Post-Socialist and Comparative Memory Studies Conference 21 September 2020 - 1 October 2020.
- Schellens D.E.A. (5 December 2019), Rumor or Reality? Moscow Conceptualism as a Challenge for our Contemporary Art Canon. Leiden Arts in Society Blog. Leiden: LUCAS. [blog entry].
- Schellens D.E.A. (2019), Good Bye, Lenin? De kracht van popcultuur in de herinnering aan de DDR (inleiding bij film) (Studium Generale). [other].
- Schellens D. (2018), Review of: Möller H. & Cubar’jan A. (2016), Deutsch-russische Kulturbeziehungen im 20. Jahrhundert. Einflüsse und Wechselwirkungen.. Mitteilungen der Gemeinsamen Kommission für die Erforschung der jüngeren Geschichte der deutsch-russischen Beziehungen no. 6. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter Oldenbourg. Historische Zeitschrift 307(1): 300-302.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2018), St. Petersburg als Palimpsest: subversive Geschichtskonstruktionen als Gegendiskurs in der Performance- und Aktionskunst des Laboratoriums für poetischen Aktionismus. In: Frischmuth A., Hoy T. & Färber C. (Eds.), Erinnerungsraum Osteuropa. Zur Poetik der Migration, Erinnerung und Geschichte des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts. no. 34. Berlin: Peter Lang. 173-189.
- Oberle I., Schellens D.E.A., Frey M., Braune C. & Römer D. (Eds.) (2018), Literaturkontakte: Kulturen - Medien - Märkte. Berlin: Frank & Timme.
- Frey M., Oberle I. & Schellens D.E.A. (2018), Einleitung. Literaturkontakte: Kulturen - Medien - Märkte. In: Oberle I., Schellens D., Frey M., Braune C. & Römer D. (Eds.), Literaturkontakte: Kulturen - Medien - Märkte. Berlin: Frank & Timme. 7-20.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2018), Moskovskij konceptualizm kak kul'turnyj transfer meždu Rossiej i Germaniej (1979-2018), XVI International Congress of Slavists, University of Belgrade. International Congress of Slavists 20 August 2018 - 27 August 2018.
- Schellens D.E.A., Salnikova N., Klingberg O. & Rapp K. (27 June 2017), TAGB: Tage russischer Literatur im Literaturhaus Zürich (24.02.-26.02.2017). H-Germanistik. [blog entry].
- Schellens D.E.A. (9 May 2017), ‘(Ne)soveršennye teksty/(Im)perfect texts’: Trash Aesthetics and the Problem of Representation in Video Poetry of the Laboratory for Poetic Actionism. Sublime Imperfections. Amsterdam. [blog entry].
- Schellens D.E.A. & Salnikova N. (2016), Sieben Thesen zur kulturellen Identität, Workshop at the XXXII DAAD-Germanistikkonferenz, Russian State University for the Humanities Moscow. XXXII DAAD-Germanistikkonferenz 10 March 2016 - 12 March 2016.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2016), 'Vremja govorit'!/Time to Speak!' Sankt Petersburg als dynamisches Palimpsest in der Lyrik und Aktionskunst von Pavel Arsen'ev und Roman Osminkin, 13. Junges Forum für Slavistische Literaturwissenschaft, Humboldt-Universität Berlin. 13. Junges Forum für Slavistische Literaturwissenschaft 1 April 2016 - 3 April 2016.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2016), 'Painting the Town Red': St. Petersburg as a Dynamic Palimpsest in the Work of the Laboratory for Poetic Actionism, 'Red on Red: A Symposium on Post-Socialist Art and Critical Theory, Yale University. Red on Red: A Symposium on Post-Socialist Art and Critical Theory 8 April 2016 - 9 April 2016.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2016), ‘(Ne)soveršennye teksty’. Trash Aesthetics and the Problem of Representation in the Work of the Laboratory for Poetic Action, Symposium 'Sublime Imperfections: Imperfection and Trash Aesthetics in Russian Modern and Contemporary Art, University of Amsterdam. Sublime Imperfections: Imperfection and Trash Aesthetics in Russian Modern and Contemporary Art 2 June 2016 - 2 June 2016.
- Schellens D.E.A. (2015), Redirecting the Gaze: Moscow Conceptualism as Cultural Transfer Between East and West, Symposium 'Literary Canonicity in the 21st Century', University of Amsterdam. Literary Canonicity in the 21st Century 19 October 2015 - 19 October 2015.
- Schellens D.E.A. (4 December 2015), "Time to Speak!” Pavel Arsen’ev and the Laboratory for Poetic Action. Leiden Rusland Blog. Leiden. [blog entry].
- Schellens D.E.A. (2015), 'Entgleisende Sexualität': Der Zug als erotischer Topos in Gegenliteratur zu Tolstojs Kreutzersonate (1889) im russischen Eros-Diskurs des Fin de siècle. In: Canpalet E., Grass R., Hemgesberg N., Herhausen S., Janke M., Richerd L., Schöneich D., Strupp D., Thanisch T. & Winkler A. (Eds.), Literatur und Sexualität. Beiträge zum Studierendenkongress Komparatistik 2014.. Berlin: Christian A. Bachmann Verlag. 105-116.
- Bestuurslid van Stichting UNE Foundation (UNE)