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Call for Contributions: Animals Inside: A History of Objects and Furniture for Pets in Domestic Interiors

International Conference

Date:

Location:
Geneva , Switzerland HEAD – Genève / Department of Interior Architecture, HEAD – Genève (HES-SO)

Contact: Javier Fernández Contreras, Youri Kravtchenko HEAD – Genève (HES-SO)

Email: Javier.fernandez-contreras@hesge.ch; youri.kravtchenko@hesge.ch

Website: https://eahn.org/2025/06/diplomatic-interiors-spaces-practices-and-infrastructures-in-historical-perspective/

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Animals Inside: A History of Objects and Furniture for Pets in Domestic Interiors invites researchers, designers, historians, architects, artists, and theorists to explore a specific but underexplored aspect of this entanglement: the history of objects and furniture designed for pets in domestic interiors, from antiquity to today.

The Department of Interior Architecture at HEAD – Genève studies the role of interior spaces in shaping contemporaneity, paying particular attention to human-non-human entanglements. This includes the dynamic relationships between humans and animals within the domestic sphere — a relationship that has transformed radically across time and geography. 

This conference invites researchers, designers, historians, architects, artists, and theorists to explore a specific but underexplored aspect of this entanglement: the history of objects and furniture designed for pets in domestic interiors, from antiquity to today. We aim to interrogate when and how animals entered the home, and more crucially, when they began to shape its design through specific furniture and objects created for their use. From the ornately crafted bird cages of imperial courts to Victorian aquariums, from mid-century dog beds to today’s wall-mounted cat gyms and AI-powered “talking” buttons for dogs — these objects offer a unique lens through which to examine changes in domestic space, material culture, design, and our understanding of interspecies cohabitation. 

We welcome contributions that:

  • Offer a 30-minute presentation based on original research or practice-based investigation.
  • Clearly specify the geographic and historical context of the case study.
  • Examine any type of animal (birds, dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, etc.).
  • Investigate any historical period, from ancient civilizations to contemporary design.

Address a range of objects and furnishings, such as:

  • Aquariums, terrariums, bird cages
  • Pet beds, perches, feeders
  • Cat trees, wall gyms, litter furniture
  • Wearables, communication devices, or “smart” pet furnishings

 

Important Information

Proposal Submission Deadline: 15 September 2025

Notification of Acceptance: by 25 September 2025

Travelling allowances: covered by individual contributors

Conference date: 17 November 2025

 

Submission Guidelines

Please submit your proposal including:

  • Title of your presentation
  • Abstract (300–500 words)
  • Biographical Note (150 words)
  • Affiliation and contact details

Send your submission to:

Javier.fernandez-contreras@hesge.ch and youri.kravtchenko@hesge.ch

 

For further information or inquiries, please contact the scientific committee:

Javier Fernández Contreras, Youri Kravtchenko

HEAD – Genève (HES-SO)