[Commlist] CFP Butterfly Symposium: Glo-cal Effects of Data, Energy and Industry

*Call for Papers /Butterfly Symposium/:/ Glo-cal Effects of Data, Energy 
and Industry/*

Tuesday August 12th, 2025

Wasa Innovation Centre

Joint University of Vassa, Deakin University, Umea University, Tampere 
University Symposium

As part of the academic program accompanying the Wasa Futures Festival’s 
2025 new media and performance art//exhibition /Butterfly: Glo-cal 
Effects of Data, Energy and Industry /(11-31 August, Wasa Innovation 
Center), we invite submissions of extended abstracts for paper 
presentation at a one-day symposium (information as PDF attached). We 
especially encourage scholars from a wide range of disciplines including 
engineering, business, communication, information systems, the arts and 
humanities, cognitive science and more. In particular, we appreciate 
papers that adopt an artistic lens of inquiry, i.e., breaking the 
boundaries set within the respective disciplines, looking at the 
information available, and making sense of circumstances in new ways, to 
convey a holistic story of how our world is morphing through 
contemporary data, energy and corporate systems. _We invite full papers 
for publication in a forthcoming edition of the new series_/_Critical 
Digital Infrastructures and Interfaces_/ _(Bloomsbury Academic) with 
anticipated release 2026)._

*Symposium*

Not just a beautiful insect, the term ‘butterfly’ is used to describe 
how small changes in the starting conditions of a system can lead to 
large, unpredictable differences in outcomes (Palmer, Döring & Seregin, 
2014). That is, even tiny modifications to one part of a system, may 
mean exponential, chaotic effects in other parts. ‘Butterfly effect’ was 
coined by Ed Lorenz, a meteorologist in the 1960s, but rather than 
referring to small changes creating unpredictable results, Lorenz 
actually meant that we could accurately predict the future in certain 
complex systems such as the atmosphere. Here, we adopt the term to both 
refer to sensitive dependencies on initial conditions as per Chaos 
Theory (Yorke & Li, 1975), to both describe how discrete differences in 
the starting state of a system can lead to radically different outcomes, 
as well as to describe how these radically different outcomes can 
somehow be predicted through artistic exploration. What Lorenz deemed as 
the “real butterfly effect” refers to the fact that there are 
limitations to the combinations of future unravelling that we may 
observe. In the case of the natural environment and globality, while we 
might find effects surprising, we can still predict alternative realities.

With emphasis on digital technology and data-driven systems (i.e., AI), 
we aim to illuminate the omnipresence and physical implications of data 
and its potential for creative appropriation. The exhibition will reveal 
the untapped possibilities of digital realms to reflect and enhance our 
ecological sensibilities, while converging the artists, their artworks, 
scholars and practitioners from across disciplines (including 
engineering, energy, computer science, business and communication). By 
exploring how human interaction with digital infrastructure can serve as 
a conduit for critical and creative practices that honour and advance 
ecological harmony, the exhibition begs audiences to contemplate the 
role of technology in a sustainable and equitable future. It is a call 
to action – a reminder that in the quest for ecological balance, 
creativity and innovation can lead the way in transforming our 
collective consciousness and societal structures.

We welcome papers that critically engage with the impacts of data, 
digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy systems*—*both 
physical and social—on our**ecological, cultural, social, and 
psychological landscapes*.* The symposium seeks to open an 
interdisciplinary dialogue around how contemporary technologies and 
industries are reshaping the environment and human experience.

//

/References/

Palmer, T. N., Döring, A., & Seregin, G. (2014). The real butterfly 
effect. Nonlinearity, 27(9), R123.

Yorke, J. A., & Li, T. Y. (1975). /Period Three Implies Chaos/. American 
Mathematical Monthly, 82(10), 985-992.

**

*SUBMISSION GUIDELINES*

**

*Extended abstracts*

We look forward to receiving extended abstracts in length of* 500-1000 
words (plus references)*. While the aim is to collect abstracts from all 
disciplines, the abstracts should clearly relate to the main themes of 
the /Butterfly /exhibition, engaging in the themes in a critical way, 
and demonstrate an openness to transdisciplinary engagement. That is, 
the abstracts and their topics should be /accessible /to people outside 
your discipline.

Please send your extended abstract *_no later than May 16th, 2025 
*to**(_ButterflyExhibition25 /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(ButterflyExhibition25 /at/ gmail.com)>

Please include:
  * The name(s) of the author(s);
  * The affiliation(s) and address(es) of the author(s);
  * The e-mail address, and telephone number(s) of the corresponding 
author:

**

*IMPORTANT DATES*

Deadline for extended abstracts *May 16th, 2025*

Notifications sent to authors *May 31st, 2025*

Full paper draft submission for publication path *June 27th, 2025*

Symposium *August 12th, 2025*

Full paper Revision deadline for publication path *January 26th, 2026*

Publication *2026*

**

/Curation and Organising Team/

/Rebekah Rousi, Toija Cinque, Elina Melgin, Aska Mayers, & Esteban 
Guerrero Rosero/




---------------
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
---------------