Conference: The Sign, the Sacred, and the Body Politic in the Age of Choice

The Sign, the Sacred, and the Body Politic in the Age of Choice

Inaugural Conference of the Theory, Culture, & Late Modernity Colloquy

Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia

May 5-6, 2026

The Modernity Seminar 
Directors and Conference Conveners: Isaac Ariail Reed Dmitry Kurakin
Conference Organizer: Yingyu Zang

The question of modernity–die Neuzeit–retains a pressing relevance in today’s era of disruption, reaction-formation, apocalyptic imaginaries, and dizzying technological change. Thinking theoretically about culture amidst the multiple crises shaping the contemporary world is both difficult and necessary. This year, we focus on the sign, the sacred, and the body politic, and consider how these relate to classic modern aspirations for freedom and solidarity.

The conference brings together graduate students, visiting scholars, faculty fellows, and keynote speakers in a two-day gathering aimed at fostering sustained and in-depth dialogue.

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