Events
For more information about events and activities, visit our Blog:
Future Events
June 31, 2026
Submission Deadline for the Call for Papers “Spatial and Semantic Translations of Human Remains in the Early Modern World (1550–1800)“.
An International Conference organized by the Global Bones Project Conference Dates: April 16–17, 2027“
Past events
June 4, 2026
Workshop organized by Urte Krass and Valérie Kobi (Neuchâtel): Mirabilia und Exotica. Schwieriges Erbe heute ausstellen, Universität Bern, Medizinsammlung Inselspital, Vortragssaal.
May 28, 2026
PhD Project Presentation by Victor Maria Escalona (with Introduction by Prof. Alexandre Coello de la Rosa): “The Power of Bones” at the VIII Seminari Permanent del GEICP of the Universitat Pompeu Fabre, Barcelona / 16:00 – 18:00
May 28, 2026
Presentation by Tamara Kobel: “‘El dolor es, que se echan menos muchos cuerpos santos y muchas reliquias insignes’: Die (fehlenden) Reliquien im frühen kolonialen Lima” at the Sommerworkshop of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and University Leipzig. / 2 p.m.
April 14, 2026
Commentary by Victor Maria Escalona on a presentation by Monique Ligtenberg “Koloniale Spuren in den ETH-Sammlungen Eine Verflechtungsgeschichte zwischen Zürich und Somaliland (ca. 1890–1900)” for the “After Restitution: Museums as Archives for New African Histories – Research Seminar” (a collaboration between Bernisches Historisches Museum and Initiative Afrique, University of Bern).
March 20, 2026
Presentation by Victor Maria Escalona: “Ahnengebeine und Heiligenrelikte in Angola (1483-1665)” at the Berner Museumsnacht 2026.
February 6, 2026
Presentation by Tamara Kobel: “Negotiating Death and Body: The Execution of Atahualpa through Guaman Poma’s Drawing” at the First Colloquium on Guaman Poma at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
February 4, 2026
Podcast: “Introduction to Global Bones project”, by Hélène Dupraz Sancho, feat. Alberto Saviello. https://www.youtube.com/@IASHBern/podcasts
Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies | Graduate School of the Arts and Humanities | Walter Benjamin Kolleg | & THoR Project. https://thor-project.ch/thor-talks/2025
December 5, 2025
Presentation of RP1 by Victor M. Escalona: “The Power of Bones: Spiritual Agency in the Material Cultures of Early Mbundu States in Angola (c. 1490-1700)” at the first Africa-Bern-Day at University Bern. / 17:00 – 17:15
November 17, 2025
Presentation of RP1 by Victor M. Escalona: “The Power of Bones: Ancestral Remains and Christian Body Relics in West Central Africa (1390-1790)” at the Colloquium of Early Modern History, University Tübingen.
November 4, 2025
Presentation of RP3 by Tamara Kobel: “Entre ocultar y revelar: Mallquis y las reliquias cirstianas en el Perú del siglo XVI y XVII” at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Lima. / 6 p.m.
October 18, 2025
Lecture “Christian Relics in the Early Evangelization of the Philippines” by Alberto Saviello, Marikina (Metro Manila), MILES Online Classes (online)
October 9, 2025
Lecture “Christian Relics in the Early Evangelization of the Philippines” by Alberto Saviello, Manila (Philippines), University of Santo Tomas, Central Lab Auditorium, 2 p.m. PHT
September 19 & 20, 2025
Workshop – Reliquiarum Project (5th encounter / 5ta jornada) Lisbon, Santa Casa da Misericordia/Museu São Roque
“Reliquia, Objecto? Imagem?” with Paulo Catrica, Philippe George, Gorka López de Munain, Pierre-Antoine Fabre, Carlos Vargas, …
September 11, 2025
Workshop “Religion to go? Regional and Global Movements of Sacred and Devotional Objects” of the DFG Network “Mobile Matters of Religion: Devotional and Sacred Objects in the Early Modern World” in cooperation with the Institute of Art History at the University of Bern, Historisches Museum Basel, and the SNSF research project “Global Bones”. Bern, Kunsthistorisches Institut, Mittelstrasse 43, room 220.
September 10, 2025
Roundtable “Religion to go? Material Worlds of Early Modern Faith in Motion” with Simon Ditchfield (York), Christine Göttler (Bern), Urte Krass (Bern), and Paul Nelles (Ottawa); moderated by Anne Mariss (Regensburg) and Alberto Saviello (Bern). Bern, Kunsthistorisches Institut, Mittelstrasse 43, room 220, 5.30-7 pm.
September 6, 2025
Presentation of Global Bones as part of the “Nacht der Forschung” at the University of Bern, 6–11 p.m.
June 21, 2025
Lecture “Connected by Saint Ursula and Her Companions: Visualizing Kinship Networks and Holy Women in the Estado da India” by Urte Krass.
Goa, Museum of Christian Art, Convent of Santa Monica, Heritage Hour, 4 p.m. IST / 12.30 pm CEST
May 27, 2025
Presentation and popularisation of the project Global Bones for general audiences
represented by Hélène Dupraz Sancho
Graduate School of the Arts and Humanities | Walter Benjamin Kolleg
May 15 & 16, 2025
Workshop “Repetition”, with Femi Johnson – presentation by Tamara Kobel and participation of Victor María Escalona & Hélène Dupraz Sancho
Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies | Graduate School of the Arts and Humanities | Walter Benjamin Kolleg
April 10-12, 2025
Workshop “Global Bones: Sacred Remains and Cultural Crossroads in Colonial Latin America”
University of Bern, Institute of Art History
Cathedral Saint-Nicolas of Fribourg
March 18, 2025
Lecture “The Musete Reliquary Chest of Queen Njinga” by Victor Maria Escalona; as part of the international conference “Wiederverwendungswert? / Reuse Value?“, Universität Köln, Emily Hyatt | Henrike Haug | Kathrin Borgers, Greven-Haus, Neue Weyerstrasse 1-3, 50676 Köln, March 18-19.
March 17, 2025
Lecture “Sacred Bones and Shining Silver. Colonial Body Politics and Extractivism in the Viceroyalty of New Spain” by Alberto Saviello. As part of the lecture series “Bodies that matter: menschliche Überreste und deren Nachleben”, Universität Basel, Kollegienhaus, Amphiteather 102, 6 p.m.
February 19, 2025
Lecture “Incorporations: Human Remains Entering Novel Constellations in Early Modern European Collections“ by Urte Krass at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz / Max-Planck-Institut, Palazzo Grifoni Budini Gattai, P.za della SS. Annunziata 1, 50122 Firenze/Italy, 5 p.m.
January 21, 2025
Lecture “Christliche Reliquien in der globalen Mission der Frühen Neuzeit” by Alberto Saviello. Session in the lecture “Sakrale Bilder und Artefakte. Einführung in die ‘materiale Religion’“ by Prof Dr Catherina Wenzel at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, room 1.701, 10 a.m.
September 23 to December 16, 2024
Lecture “Verehrt. Verhüllt. Verschickt. Christliche Reliquien im globalen Kontext in der Frühen Neuzeit” (‘Honoured. Wrapped. Dispatched. Christian Relics in a Global Context in the Early Modern Period’) by Prof Dr Urte Krass and Dr Alberto Saviello
University of Bern, Institute of Art History, Department of Early Modern Art History
June 14–15, 2024
Workshop “Incorporations: Christian Relics and Reliquaries from Overseas in European Collections (16/17th Centuries)”
University of Bern, Institute of Art History
Abbey of St. Maurice d’Agaune"
May 3, 2024
Lecture “Der Asienapostel Franz Xaver und seine Reliquien – eine transkontinentale Reisegeschichte”
by Prof Dr Urte Krass at the Seniorenuniversität Bern
April 24–25, 2024
Workshop “Holy Bones and Relics in the Early Modern Christian Missions in Asia”
University of Bern, Institute of Art History
March 6–9, 2024
Research trip to Lisbon and meeting with the partner project “reliquiarum”
https://globo.hypotheses.org
January 22, 2024
Panel Discussion, Collegium Helveticum, Zürich (with Urte Krass et al.)
“Corpses, Casts, and Copyrights. Displaying Human Remains”