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[Commlist] CFP: Figuring the Invisible - hybrid conference

Sat Aug 05 14:53:25 GMT 2023





CALL FOR PAPERS

Figuring the Invisible - An Interdisciplinary Conference
December 15. & 16. 2023

Deadline: October 20th, 2023

Lucerne School of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU)
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Research Project FICTA SciO

For questions about the conference: (marco.bellano /at/ hslu.ch) <mailto:(marco.bellano /at/ hslu.ch)>

About the Project
The MSCA global research project FICTA SciO (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101063803 <https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101063803>) aims to identify and raise awareness about the audiovisual conventions and communication tactics of animation in multimedia science outreach, in respect to the representation of invisible objects (too big, too small, too far away in space and time). The animated visualizations of the “invisible” sides of reality, like black holes or atoms, are mostly offered to the audience “as they are”, without any warning that they are scientific models based on non-optical evidence. Because of this, they get misunderstood for true-to-nature representations, and as such they circulate also in audio-visual entertainment, reinforcing the wrong belief that those objects would exactly look like that, if they were to be seen by the human eye. This is the case of objects at macroscopic cosmological scales (black holes, quasars, neutron stars), or at atomic and sub-atomic scales (atoms, quarks, strings), or too far away in time (extinct life forms). As remarked by Silvye Bissonette in 2014, «one of the major problems associated with such animated models is the lack of instructions on how to interpret them and judge their accuracy»; in 2016, Vincent Campbell concurred that «of particular concern [...] is the possibility of a lack of transparency for the audience of the shift from the evidentiary nature of the documentary image to a much more speculative and constructed image». The enhanced photorealism and interactivity of contemporary animation has a key role in this, especially after 1980, when the technology of animation started to allow for this aesthetics. The main disciplinary field is therefore that of the animated documentary, a major point in the Animation Studies agenda (Honess Roe, 2013). It is also based on the epistemology of scientific communication; as Daston and Galison argued (2007), «truth-to-nature» objectivity is being superseded by visuals balancing art and science. Merleau-Ponty (1964) had previously called for an equilibrium between objectivity and subjectivity in science outreach, due to the new “invisible” frontiers of knowledge.

About the conference
The conference invites to approach the issue with the critical methodology of film and animation studies. However, an interdisciplinary dialogue will also be sought, with experts coming from: a) the scientific areas referenced by the animations in the researched multimedia products;
b) scientific communication and journalism;
c) animation practice;
d) data visualisation.

The audio-visual products to be studied will include:
a) documentary films for cinema, TV, home video and the Internet;
b) science-based animated simulations or representations of research results featured in fictional
films;
c) user-edited scientific content for social media;
d) interactive programs and applications.

The conference will be completed by a film screening of works which cover one or several of the aforementioned topics. Therefore, we also call for the participation of filmmakers who would like their work to be included in the screening.

How to participate
Presentations will have a maximum length of 20 minutes each. It is possible to submit a panel proposal, with three to four speakers. In person attendance is encouraged, but online presentations will also be possible. The deadline for your proposal (max. 300 words, .doc, .docx, .pages or .pdf; please include also three to five bibliographic references, three to five keywords and a short bio of 150 words) is October 20th. Please send your proposals to (tina.ohnmacht /at/ hslu.ch) <mailto:(tina.ohnmacht /at/ hslu.ch)> and (marco.bellano /at/ hslu.ch) <mailto:(marco.bellano /at/ hslu.ch)>, specifying in you file if you want to present in person or online. If you are a filmmaker and you want to submit also one or more short films to be considered for the screening, please send a Vimeo link (or of any other suitable streaming platform), or a link to download the video file from a cloud storage service.

The conference is chaired by Dr. Tina Ohnmacht, coordinator of the MA Animation at HSLU, and Dr. Marco Bellano, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Research Fellow at the HSLU and at the University of Padova, Italy.

Accommodation
As the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, we have special rates with some hotels in and around Lucerne. When registering at the hotel, please state that you are guests of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, but that the bill goes to you. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts does not cover accommodation costs. You can find the list of all hotels here: https://www.hslu.ch/-/media/campus/common/files/dokumente/sa/fachtagungen-und-kongresse/campus-lucerne-hotellist-2023-en.pdf?la=de-ch <https://www.hslu.ch/-/media/campus/common/files/dokumente/sa/fachtagungen-und-kongresse/campus-lucerne-hotellist-2023-en.pdf?la=de-ch>



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