International conference organized by the Department of Italian Language and Literature of the University of Szeged and the Animalia Research Center of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Szeged

Transformation (metamorphosis) is an ancient theme and universal topos in literature, the arts, and a wide variety of genres, which, from mythology to the present day, accompanies the physical, spiritual, and moral representation of humans in animal form. Although zoomorphism serves to denote the transition/transformation from human to animal and anthropomorphism from animal to human, the boundaries between animals and humans are blurred in various verbal and figurative representations and interpretations, and in the relationship between humanitas and animalitas, the animal figure becomes a central figure in human self-interpretation and medial thinking, confirming the interconnectedness of earthly living beings and the legitimacy of their holistic interpretation.

The conference is open to chronological boundaries ranging from ancient times to the present day, as well as to approaches from the fields of literature and linguistics, art history, film studies, and visual culture studies in general, philosophy, and interdisciplinary studies. In the field of cultural anthropology and ethnographic research, the cosmological role of animals and their representational power in understanding human emotions and character, as well as in literary and artistic representations, are also emphasized.

We plan to publish written, edited versions of the presentations in the Animalia eBooks series (https://ebook.ek.szte.hu/index.php/animalia_ebooks).

In addition to distinguished Hungarian and foreign scholars and plenary speakers, we welcome applications from young researchers, university lecturers, and PhD students, especially in the fields of modern languages and cultures, classical philology, Hungarian and comparative literature, media studies, art history, and ethnography.

• Organizing Committee: Prof. Dr. Éva Vígh, Dr. Kinga Dávid, Dr. habil. Edit Újvári
• Conference Languages: Italian, English, Hungarian.
• Date: April 22–24, 2027, Venue: MTA Szeged Academic Committee, 6720 Szeged, Somogyi u. 7.
• Contact: metamorf.szte@gmail.com
• Registration: https://forms.gle/ukQp7HKrs3opsuFr6