[Commlist] CfP Images in Motion and Moving Images

Yener Bayramoglu would like to share with you the Call for Papers for 
our upcoming conference/Images in Motion and Moving Images: Gender, 
Power & Mobility/, which will take place from 19–21 November in 
Tübingen, Germany.

The conference invites media and communication scholars whose work 
engages with themes such as mobility and immobility, gender, sexuality, 
borders, visuality, and affect.

You can find the full CfP here and below:

<https://uni-tuebingen.de/securedl/sdl-eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE3NDgyOTI2NTcsImV4cCI6MTc0ODM4MjY1NywidXNlciI6MCwiZ3JvdXBzIjpbMCwtMV0sImZpbGUiOiJmaWxlYWRtaW4vVW5pX1R1ZWJpbmdlbi9GYWt1bHRhZXRlbi9QaGlsb3NvcGhpZS9QaGlsb3NvcGhpZV9SaGV0b3Jpa19NZWRpZW4vSW5zdF9mdWVyX01lZGllbndpc3NlbnNjaGFmdC9CaWxkZXIvTGVocnN0XHUwMGZjaGxlL0RpZ2l0YWxpc2llcnVuZ191bmRfZ2VzZWxsc2NoYWZ0bGljaGVfVmVyYW50d29ydHVuZy9DRlBfTW9iaWxpdFx1MDBlNHRfVmlzdWFsaXRcdTAwZTR0X0dlbmRlcl9maW5hbF9FTkcucGRmIiwicGFnZSI6Mjc4OTY0fQ.pEmMFLfPVWSYXIyYKqE2OYvDL3j_rzP9VFK2MzQFuC8/CFP_Mobilit>


++++

Images in Motion and Moving Images: Gender, Power & Mobility
Joint conference of the DGPuK Divisions of „Media, Public Sphere, 
Gender“ and „Visual Communication“
19th – 21st of November 2025, University of Tübingen

From baby monitors to livestreams, from migrants crossing borders to 
digital navigation systems in our pockets; from Black Lives Matter 
demonstrations to COVID-19 tracking apps, and from Woman, Life, Freedom 
to influencers staging their journeys through social media – these 
examples demonstrate how people get and are set in motion with and 
through "their" media.
But who or what is actually mobile? How do people on the move become 
visible through mobile, networked media technologies, and who or what 
remains invisible? What role do gender and power relations play in this? 
How do mobilities and visualities shape each other? To what extent do 
different social categories and inequalities shape regimes of mobility 
and visibility from an intersectional perspective? In addition, the 
discussion of methodological challenges will be given space: How can 
mobile media use be analysed when both people and media are constantly 
moving? How can research methods be flexibilised to adequately capture 
the ephemerality of visual content and the processuality of media 
practices? This conference invites to engage with the topic of mobility 
from a media and communication studies perspective, both theoretically 
and methodologically.
The advent of mobile, networked media technologies has precipitated a 
shift in the manner in which the concepts of absence and presence are 
being negotiated. The communicative scope of action is shaped by 
different spatial ranges and media (multi-)modalities. Media content is 
now shared across a variety of platforms and technologies, including 
shared images, streaming in public spaces, and ephemeral social media 
content. This raises questions regarding norms and practices: in 
particular, the question of what content is considered appropriate in 
(semi-)public spaces. Furthermore, it is crucial to examine the manner 
in which mobile media usage impacts visual and multimodal communication, 
as well as the associated viewing and listening practices. Which media 
are employed, and in what contexts, and how are gender relations 
reproduced in the process?
Feminist and queer critiques particularly question (in)visibilities, 
(im)mobilities and power structures in media practices, discourses and 
infrastructures. The concepts of visibility and invisibility, mobility 
and immobility are not only subject to cultural and discursive regimes, 
but also to technical ones - through platform architectures, algorithms 
and the storage of digital traces. (Geo-)data economies are based on the 
collection, utilisation, and circulation of digital data, with unequal 
power relations determining their flow. Algorithms shape


visibility, prioritise content and reinforce social hierarchies. At the 
same time, transnational data flows enable pervasive surveillance that 
affects freedom of movement and privacy. Submissions that contribute to 
a critical reconsideration of the interplay between mobility and 
visibility, with a particular focus on gender and visuality, are 
invited. Theoretical, quantitative, qualitative, computational and 
mixed-methods contributions are welcome, for example on media effects, 
discourses, iconographies, narratives, image types, infrastructures and 
data economies. Contributions may fall within, but are not limited to, 
the following areas:
Care & Control
How do media create shared spaces, establish closeness, show care, or 
exert control and surveillance? Our everyday social interactions as well 
as media and communication practices (e.g. in couple relationships or in 
mediatised care work) are characterised by visual communication and 
visual media content that circulate across platforms and technologies 
within economies of visibility. This content is often gender-coded and 
linked to the negotiation of social norms. Closeness and care can turn 
into control and surveillance, which are often understood as protection 
(e.g. baby monitors), but can also pose, promote, and create risks such 
as digital inequalities, stalking, or gender-based violence.
Placemaking and hybrid spaces
Digital media as an interface between digital and physical experiences 
and components expand spatial perception and appropriation practices 
(space and place making). How do people perceive (urban) spaces 
differently through digital media, and how do they shape them according 
to media possibilities and individual needs? How do digital maps and 
immersive AR navigation change spatial orientation and mobility? How do 
digital platforms influence the meaning and relevance of places, e.g. in 
the context of tourism? Digital media with spatial references – such as 
Twitch, e-sports, Pokémon GO, and geocaching – can also shape 
affiliations and spatial identities. Which actors move in which ways in 
online and offline spaces, what access do they have, and what 
differences – especially in visual representation and gender – emerge?
Mobilisation, activism and affect
How do media technologies and platforms mobilise, activate, unsettle, 
harden, and accelerate socio-political and ideological communication? 
Activists, autocrats, and democratically elected actors make intensive 
use of media and communication technologies to mobilise people – whether 
it's through street demonstrations, elections or participation in 
political discourse, both online and offline. Forms of political 
participation on social media are primarily visual, often easily 
accessible and emotional - such as criticism and satire in the form of 
memes or contributions to viral hashtags. Especially in the context of 
current political debates, reactionary tendencies and a consolidation of 
heteronormative gender roles can be observed (#tradwives). At the same 
time, the media enable minority communities to form and protest 
movements and counter-publics to emerge.


Migration, borders and inequalities
Migrations are also visually constructed and negotiated in political, 
economic, and ecological contexts: Which surveillance technologies are 
utilised for the purpose of controlling refugee movements (e.g. face 
scans)? Furthermore, what new forms of inequality are created by smart 
borders? How are mobile media used as a means of resistance against 
border regimes? Finally, it is crucial to examine how migrant workers 
are represented in visual communication, and to what extent these 
portrayals reflect gender-specific stereotypes and power relations.
Immobility and Media - Media That Does Not Move
Where is mobility prevented in relation to the media, and where is 
immobility desired? Not everything is fluid and changing rapidly. Even 
visual media and communication technologies can become immobile in 
certain contexts. This can be seen, for example, with analogue 
photography: although today's media innovations make it possible to take 
and carry pictures anywhere and anytime, analogue photography (e.g. in 
the form of photo books) remains important. Analogue images often 
increase in value over time and become special visual mementos. However, 
it is not only the content of media that can remain static – practices 
of use and access to media are also unevenly distributed. While older 
audiences often stick with traditional media formats, access to mobile 
and digital media remains limited for many. Digital divides thus shape 
the tension between mobile and immobile media: who can move flexibly in 
networked media environments, and for whom do certain technologies 
remain inaccessible or unused? These questions highlight the persistence 
of existing media practices and structural inequalities.
Notes on submission
Submissions are welcome in the following formats: 1.) Individual 
presentation (15 min)
2.) Panel (90 min with 4 to max. 5 presentations on the same main topic, 
discussed from different perspectives)
3.) Interactive format: Please contact the organisers if you are 
interested in this option.

Please note: The conference will be held bilingually in German and 
English. Submissions in both languages are warmly welcome. Individual 
panels will be conducted consistently in one language only (German or 
English). While we expect a larger number of submissions and panels in 
German, we warmly encourage English-speaking participants to join – with 
the awareness that not all sessions may be accessible to them without 
knowledge of German.
Bilingual materials (e.g. slides or handouts) are welcome to support 
mutual understanding. A German version of this call can be accessed at 
https://uni-tuebingen.de/fakultaeten/philosophische-fakultaet/fachbereiche/philosophie-rhetorik-medien/institut-fuer-medienwissenschaft/institut/lehrstuehle/lehrstuhl-fuer-digitalisierung-und-gesellschaftliche-verantwortung/mobility/.

Procedure for submission
Individual presentations should be submitted as extended abstracts of no 
more than 800 words, excluding bibliography and appendices (e.g. 
figures, tables). Contributions should be


submitted in either English or German. For panels, please submit a panel 
description of no more than 600 words and an abstract of no more than 
300 words for each paper within the panel, excluding bibliography and 
appendices (e.g. figures, tables). The language within the panel should 
be consistent (English or German). Please upload the anonymised 
abstract/panel submission and the separate cover page in PDF-format by 
30 June. Supporting early career researchers is a central concern of 
both divisions, therefore we strongly encourage researchers at this 
stage of their career to submit their contributions!
Review process
All submissions will be reviewed anonymously. It is therefore essential 
that all abstracts are submitted in anonymised form. In addition to a 
summary of the content of the presentation, abstracts should clearly 
state the relevance to the conference theme and the relevance and 
originality of the research question. The following criteria will also 
serve as a basis for the reviewers' assessment: (1) contribution to the 
conference theme, (2) plausibility of the theoretical foundation, (3) 
appropriateness of the approach (and methodology), (4) clarity and 
conciseness of the presentation, (5) contribution to the field of 
research (relevance & originality/innovation).
Workshop for early-career researchers
As part of the conference, there will be workshops for early career 
researchers. These are aimed at doctoral and master’s students whose 
projects touch on issues of media, publicity and gender, and/or visual 
communication and who would like to discuss their work with experts. 
Participation is explicitly open to all doctoral and master's students, 
regardless of their affiliation with the departments. A thematic 
connection to the conference theme is not required. The call for papers 
for the workshop will be published separately. The workshop will be 
organised by the pre-doc speakers of the two research groups.
For the Division „Visual Communication“: Lisa Plumeier, 
(lisa.plumeier /at/ filmuniversitaet.de), Friederike Jage-D'Aprile, 
(f.jage-daprile /at/ filmuniversitaet.de)
For the Division „Media, Public Sphere and Gender“: Victoria Kratel, 
(Victoria.Kratel /at/ kristiania.no), Miriam Siemon, (miriam.siemon /at/ fu-berlin.de)
Conference dates
The conference will take place at the Institute of Media Studies (Chair 
for Digitalization and Social Responsibility; Prof. Dr. Martina Thiele) 
at the University of Tübingen. The event will begin on 19 November 2025 
with a get-together to provide an opportunity for initial exchange. The 
conference itself will last two days and will end in the early afternoon 
of 21 November 2025. Further information on accommodation and 
organisational details will be published on the official conference 
website in due course.



Local organisation team
Dr. Helena Atteneder, Prof. Dr. Martina Thiele, Julia Fischer

For the Division „Media, Public Sphere and Gender“
Dr. Helena Atteneder, University of Tübingen, Germany, 
(helena.atteneder /at/ uni-tuebingen.de),
Dr. Yener Bayramoglu, University of York, UK, (yener.bayramoglu /at/ york.ac.uk)


For the Division „Visual Communication“
Dr. Seraina Tarnutzer, University of Fribourg/Université de Fribourg, 
Switzerland, (seraina.tarnutzer /at/ unifr.ch),
Dr. Maria Schreiber, University of Salzburg, Austria, 
(maria.schreiber /at/ plus.ac.at)

---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------