Research Night: Material Diplomacy, Gifts, Protocols, and Soft Power

Diplomatic gifts are more than just polite exchanges between states: they influence relationships, reveal power dynamics and expose the invisible rules that govern international relations. This Research Night will explore how objects, buildings and rituals form part of diplomatic codes, and how we can understand them in all their complexity.

The evening is a collaboration with Material Diplomacy, a design and research project by Pyeori Jung and Augustina Lavickaite. In it, they examine objects donated to the Vatican during moments of political conflict and change, viewing them as bearers of material, symbolic and political significance.

They will be joined by speakers Suzanne Schols, Nadim Choufi and Łukasz Stanek. In Polite Fictions, Suzanne Schols investigates how diplomatic gifts in the Netherlands and Europe are subject to strictly regulated forms of visibility. Nadim Choufi approaches diplomacy as a physical and political practice, demonstrating how diplomatic structures influence people, landscapes and ecological systems. Finally, Łukasz Stanek, Professor of Architecture at Taubman College, will share insights from the exhibition The Gift: Stories of Generosity and Violence in Architecture about the meaning of architecture as a gift.

Material Diplomacy by Pyeori Jung and Augustina Lavickaitė has been made possible in part by the Creative Industries Fund NL.

Remapping Collaborations
This Research Night aligns with the Nieuwe Instituut’s research line Remapping Collaborations. It invites us to consider how objects, spaces and actions can help us to better understand the often invisible mechanisms of international relations.

Research Nights
are recurring events dedicated to emerging interests and ongoing research within the Nieuwe Instituut. In an intimate and collaborative setting, visitors can gain insights into projects and exchange ideas through conversations, workshops, screenings and other experimental activities.

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