The colloquium will take place from 7 to 9 September 2026 in Paris.

It is organised by Sorbonne University's Médiation-s - Sciences des lieux, sciences des liens geography research unit, the Pléiade multidisciplinary research center of the UFR Lettres, Langues, Sciences humaines et des Sociétés of Sorbonne Paris Nord University, and by the Comité national français de géographie (CNFG) in partnership with the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN), and the Diplomatura de Pregrado en Prácticas Cartográficas en América Latina.

Together we want to sketch the contours of today's alternative cartographic dynamics and understand what they say about the contemporary challenges to cartography. The theory and practice of cartographies and counter-cartographies will be put to the test in the light of their contrasts:

• Historical perspective and counter-history of cartography
• Teaching, didactics and training
• Expert cartography, data, GIS, statistics and algorithms
• Public uses of cartography in urban and spatial planning
• Critical feminist, ecological and postcolonial approaches
• Militant practices
• Visual philosophy, semiotics, cartographic aesthetics and mediatisation
• Experience-based, sensitive cartographies of everyday life, ideas and the imaginary
• Cartographies and transitional justice, memory, recognition and struggles.

It will be held in four languages: French, German, Spanish and English.

The conference will be held on 7, 8 and 9 September 2026 at the Campus des Cordeliers of Sorbonne Université Paris (15 rue de l'École-de-médecine 75006 Paris) and will close at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) | Richelieu (5 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris).

The Monday and Tuesday afternoon sessions will be organised in a hybrid format to facilitate international participation.

It will be broadcast by videoconference. 

The workshops will be held in Paris  on the weekend of 5 and 6 September 2026.

Practical modalities

Contributions

The colloquium is open to two types of contributions:

• theoretical analyses
• field reports

 These contributions can be presented in two forms:

• a scientific paper, in the form of a text to be discussed at thematic sessions,
• a poster accompanied by a presentation note. The poster will be exhibited in the Cordeliers cloister and the teams will be invited to discuss their approaches during dedicated round table sessions.

Guidelines

Proposals should take the form of a long note of intent of between 5,000 and 10,000 characters setting out the context of the study, the methodological approaches, the results and 5 to 10 bibliographical references in accordance with APA standards. Iconographic material will be particularly appreciated.

All proposals must be made through the conference platform via the page Submit a proposal

Deadline for abstract and letters of intent submissions: 1 December 2025

Conference proceedings are planned for publication.