[Commlist] CFP: Drones in Society: New Visual Aesthetics conference

*CALL FOR PAPERS: Drones in Society: New Visual Aesthetics*

8^th and 9^th September 2022, Halifax Hall, Sheffield, UK


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Photo by Maxim Tarasov

Drones are an increasingly important social phenomenon. Their use has 
the potential to change the way people see the world in the same way 
other technologies have, like smartphones and the internet.Generating 
questions that go beyond safety and security issues, their widespread 
use opens new debates on the relationship between media and mobility 
(Hildebrand, 2021), material practice (Howley, 2017), and vertical power 
(Kaplan, 2018). Drones are the latest technological advancement to have 
a significant impact in the world we live in, offering opportunities for 
new forms of visual communication, culture and practices.

We invite the submission of proposals for an interdisciplinary 
conference on these topics, ‘Drones in Society: New Visual Aesthetics’, 
which will be held on 8^th and 9^th September at Halifax Hall in 
Sheffield, UK.  This 2-day conference will be hosted by the Department 
of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield. *The deadline 
for submission is 9th of April 2022.*

The conference is concerned with the role of drones in society and the 
way in which they are contributing to new visual aesthetics.

The conference invites interdisciplinary research, reflection and 
critique on topics including (but not limited to) the following:

-*People’s perspectives on drones (and their data): *surveillance, 
ethics and privacy issues in domestic and commercial uses.

-*New visual perspectives*: the creation of new visual content (drone 
art and amateur uses).

-*Drone regulations: *potential**gaps in regulating domestic and 
commercial drones, future perspectives.

-*Current uses and future applications: *the implementation of drones in 
society.

-*Drones and vertical power*: the uses of drones in war zones, activism 
and humanitarian activities.

Proposed formats:
- Individually submitted papers (organised into panels by the DiS committee)
- Panels (3-4 individual papers)
- Roundtable discussions (led by one of the presenters)
- Visual posters

Abstracts between 300-500 words in Word format must be submitted to 
(e.serafinelli /at/ sheffield.ac.uk) <mailto:(e.serafinelli /at/ sheffield.ac.uk)>by 
9^th of April 2022.

You will be notified of the decision by 14^th of May 2022.

Conference proceedings and selected papers will be published in a 
section of the forthcoming book /Vision and Verticality /(Palgrave), 
edited by Gary Bratchford  and Dennis Zuev.

Confirmed keynote speaker: Julia M. Hildebrand, Assistant Professor of 
Communication at Eckerd College

Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to visit a drone 
visuals exhibition held on the evening of *8^th September* and 
participate in a workshop with two drone artists on *9^th September*.

Conference organised by Elisa Serafinelli and Lauren Alex O’Hagan, 
Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield

For more information, contact (e.serafinelli /at/ sheffield.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(e.serafinelli /at/ sheffield.ac.uk)>or visit www.visualsociety.net 
<http://www.visualsociety.net>

References

Hildebrand J. (2021): /Aerial Play: Drone Medium, Mobility, 
Communication, and Culture./ Singapore: Palgrave Mcmillan

Howley K. (2017): /Drones: Media Discourse and the Public 
Imagination./New York: Peter Lang.

Kaplan C. (2018): /Aerial Aftermaths: Wartime from Above./ Durham: Duke 
University Press.


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