CRC 2 Report — May 2025
Colour Research Colloquium — Report
May 2025
By Sanny Schulte
Our second Colour Research Colloquium (CRC) took place in May 2025 and continued our series of interdisciplinary exchanges under this year's theme of What Colour Means – What Colours Mean. Once again, researchers and practitioners from a wide range of fields gathered to present their ongoing projects and research — to reflect on the cultural, aesthetic, and material roles of colour across media, cultures, history, and society.
Opening Words
Prof. Dr. Susanne Marschall, chief editor of Colour Turn, opened the colloquium by sharing her current work on overlooked figures in the history of colour research. She introduced The Book of Colour Concepts by Alexandra Loske and Sarah Lowengard, which she recently reviewed for the Colour Turn summer issue.
Among the many historical vignettes, Marschall highlighted the story of Carry van Biema, a Jewish scholar and artist described as "born in the wrong phase of history," who was murdered in Auschwitz and whose contributions to colour research remain largely unregarded. Marschall expressed her hope to invite Alexandra Loske and Sarah Lowengard to a future CRC for deeper discussion.
She also drew attention to Hein Heckroth, a refugee artist forced to leave Nazi Germany with his Jewish wife, who went on to shape theatre and cinema in Britain as part of the renowned group "The Archers." Lastly, Susanne encouraged all participants to consider submitting book reviews to the journal, as it's a very accessible way of getting published.
Dr. Elena Mucciarelli, co-chief editor of Colour Turn, then introduced the upcoming special issue on Colour and Rituals, emphasising the dimensions of agency and performance of colour in ritual practices. She invited contributions not only on European but also on non-European traditions, noting her own focus on South Asian ritual. Mascha Wieland's dissertation Entangled with Colour was mentioned as a significant contribution to the field.