Project description
Graffiti, a new source for the study of the human past
Contrary to contemporary meanings of "graffiti", historical graffiti are not associated with anti-social or illegal behaviours; rather, they should be seen as expressions of the involvement of individuals or groups in the values embodied by buildings, whether ecclesiastical or secular, and the works of art within them. Considering them a historical source of information on the worldview of individuals or local communities, the EU-funded Graff-IT project will focus on medieval and Renaissance graffiti (7th to 16th centuries), developing the first national graffiti survey and related digital archive. The project’s findings will be disseminated via workshops, publications and international conferences, as well as a documentary and a virtual exhibit.
Objective
In all modern languages, the word ‘graffiti’ is associated with social criticism, protest movements and vandalism. On the contrary, what historians call graffiti is unrelated to transgression. Nonetheless, contemporary and ancient graffiti share one important aspect: both are public writings, produced spontaneously and beyond any control from authorities. Graffiti give us access to the worldview of individuals in the past: this is why they are an important historical source, worthy of being considered, alongside the conventional sources.
The Graff-IT project aims to develop a new interdisciplinary approach to the study of medieval and Renaissance graffiti (7th-16th c.) as a historical source, in order to allow a correct contextualization of graffiti within their space-time and social production frame. The project will focus on the following objectives: 1) Giving graffiti full dignity as a written source and asserting the study of graffiti as intrinsic to palaeography; 2) Overcoming the atomistic approach to graffiti, in order to identify new textualities and new languages; 3) Reading graffiti as a source for the history of devotional practices; 4) Interpreting graffiti as signs of the socio-cultural identity of people and places; 5) Exploring graffiti to change our perception of historical artworks, shifting the focus from the creation stage to its social function and use over time.
The project will have an innovative and groundbreaking effect on the established method of historical investigation: different perspectives will merge towards an integrated approach that takes the multifaceted complexity of graffiti (writing, image, language, and material aspects) into account. Innovative tools and methods will be used to build out the first national graffiti survey and the related digital Archive. Other outputs are expected: 5 workshops; 2 international conferences and proceedings; a monograph; at least 15 open access articles; a virtual exhibition and a documentary.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-ADG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
66100 Chieti
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.