5th coupDefouet International Congress on Art Nouveau
Barcelona, 5-8 November 2026
Call for Papers now open, until 15 February 2026
Abstracts to be submitted in English: papers may be written and presented at the Congress in English, Spanish, French or Catalan
For more information and to submit an abstract, go to www.artnouveau.eu

Theme Strands of the Congress:

1 – Art Nouveau: New or Modern Architecture?

Historiography has often emphasised the exceptional contributions Art Nouveau made to the decorative arts applied to architecture. Even so, further analysis is needed on how Art Nouveau influenced modern architecture in terms of creative methods, structures, materials and technological innovations. How did fresh approaches towards architectural function enable the treatment of fundamental elements in modern architecture such as light, ventilation, water, hygiene, utilities, or machines to evolve?

2 – Gaudí Beyond Gaudí

The originality of Antoni Gaudí’s architecture stems from his modern interpretation of historical traditions, how he conceived each of his buildings in such a singular manner that it became a unique work. Now, a century after his death, is the optimum moment to evaluate Gaudí’s influence on modern architecture. This strand welcomes reasoned proposals exploring Gaudí’s legacy over time.

3 – Music and Art Nouveau

In the Art Nouveau period, an international fascination for the Wagnerian Gesamkunstwerk or total artwork, and innovations in the Symbolist movement deriving from musicians such as Satie, Debussy and others, came together. This strand explores contributions that focus on music, from the most evident connections – such as instruments expressing an Art Nouveau aesthetic, or musicians and performers who participated directly in the movement – to more specific links. These might include sound architectures, musical iconography, associations between poetry, lyrical theatre and dance, or manifestations related to the sphere of graphic art (posters, programmes and musical scores) or the decorative arts (stained glass, mosaics, marquetry and so on).

4 – Research and Doctoral Theses in Progress

The selection of papers for this section prioritises presentations from researchers or research groups working on projects that might stimulate a discussion on any Art Nouveau-related topic. Thus, both postgraduate students working on their theses and more experienced researchers may share their analyses and opinions.