November 5–7, 2026, at Europa-Universität Flensburg
International Conference of the *Campus Nord für Frankreich und Frankophonie* (CaNoFF)
Rhythms are omnipresent in cultural, social, and natural contexts: a poem, a piece of music, or language as a whole—as well as heartbeats, biorhythms, menstruation, and the seasons—are shaped by specific rhythms, just as social temporalities are defined by the rhythms of work, leisure, or election cycles. Although definitions of rhythm vary widely across disciplines, and the boundaries distinguishing it from concepts such as "time," "timing," or "cycle" are not always clear-cut, a minimal definition can be identified to serve as the conference's starting point: while time is the medium, rhythm is the concrete organization of that medium. Possible thematic areas include:
• The shaping of rhythm as an instrument of power and a critique of power
• Concepts of meter and rhythm in Francophone contexts and from a comparative perspective
• Cultural reflections and representations of rhythm
• The rhythm of language, voice, and literature – dimensions involving the critique of power
• Cadences and frequencies in literature, music, and physics
• Rhythm, timing, and flow in art and work: dimensions of power and freedom inherent in rhythm
• Idiorrhythmy (individual rhythm) as resistance and an expression of autonomy
• Rhythm/speech rhythm as an instrument of power in social and postcolonial hierarchies
• The imposition of European concepts of rhythm during colonialism: impacts, alternative rhythmic concepts, and cultural representations
• Gender perspectives on male-coded temporal logics and the devaluation of alternative rhythmic concepts
• Arrhythmia: destructive and constructive rhythmic disruptions and their forms of representation and discourse
• The hegemony of human rhythm in the Anthropocene and its consequences
• Rhythmic justice, temporal biopolitics
• Rhythm in history: cyclical, linear, erratic
• Rhythms of political decision-making and democratic processes
• Rhythm in music and film as a means of political self-empowerment in the Francophone world
Organization:
The conference begins on November 5, 2026, around 1:00 PM and concludes on November 7, 2026, around 2:00 PM.
Participation is free of charge. Presentations may be given in German or French. Funding for travel and accommodation costs is being sought but cannot yet be confirmed. Online participation is possible upon request if travel is not feasible.
For organizational questions, please contact: jan.rhein@uni-flensburg.de.
