The 54th volume of Ars Orientalis brings exciting changes, including a shift in the journal’s submission model and a new column. Essays in this volume examine Indian painting, stone sculptures and “religious ecology,” a Chinese pagoda, sketches from our archives, and more.
This volume marks the journal’s change to open submissions. Since 2011, guest editors have proposed a theme for each year’s publication. Through the open submission model, we now welcome prospective articles on any topic related to the arts of the broad geographic area of Asia, from the ancient period to the contemporary. We hope to expand the journal’s scope to explore new subjects, encourage submissions from a wide range of scholars, and reach new and diverse audiences.
A new column called Conversations from the Field debuts in this volume. These occasional, non–peer reviewed entries will highlight methodological approaches, interviews with contemporary artists, and reflections on the field. For the first feature, we interviewed artist Jananne Al-Ani, who works with film, photography, and video. She discusses her use of the camera to engage with the familiar and discover the unfamiliar in landscapes, portraits, and engravings.
In addition, this issue’s Digital Initiatives article considers artificial intelligence (AI) and its consequences for scholarship and publishing. Established in 2014, this section continues to evaluate crucial new research and trends in the digital humanities.
As always, we’re excited to share this volume and all past issues online with free, open access.
