To commemorate the centennial of the start of World War I the University of Regina Faculty of Arts is hosting a series of lectures on the topic “1914: A Turning Point in History and Culture.”
There’s no doubt that the war and its aftermath represent a pivotal moment in human history. That extends beyond the geo-politics that both sparked and flowed out of the conflict related European imperialism, the collapse of the Hapsburg and Ottoman Empires, the rise of the United States as a global power, and the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. In the arts, for instance, the era is generally seen as heralding the arrival of a modernist sensibility that led to all sorts of innovation in art-making and a wholesale rejection of Victorian-era values and cultural beliefs. Mass production and marketing were also emerging as potent social forces, leading to the type of consumer crazy society that we live in today.
A full line-up of lectures hasn’t been released yet, but the potential exists for a lot of interesting discussion. And the series starts off with this lecture by Yale University professor Jay Winter (pictured). The talk goes tonight at the University of Regina’s Education Auditorium at 7 p.m. For more information call 306-585-4213.
