The International Visual Methods Conference (IVMC) is an interdisciplinary conference that brings together academics, researchers, and professionals working in the field of visual studies. Held every two years, IVMC aims to promote and share studies in the field of visual research methods.
Visual studies examines the visual aspect of our culture as an evolving field, with ever-changing technologies and contents. With the transformation of media, this field has expanded beyond art and aesthetics to become an interdisciplinary research field encompassing all kinds of visual content and practice.
The 9th International Visual Methods Conference, hosted by Bahçeşehir University Istanbul, aims to bring together academics, researchers, professionals, activists and artists. The theme “Visual Bridges: Connecting Perspectives” emphasizes that visual methodologies are interdisciplinary, encouraging collaboration and aiming to explore ways to facilitate innovative research. The conference stimulates critical dialogue, exchange knowledge and encourage active participation to inspire new understandings in the theory, practice, and application of visual research.
The Bridge: Connecting Perspectives
The conference will be a dynamic forum for intellectual exchange, cultural exploration, collaborative inquiry, and the transformative power of visual methods. The scope and objectives of the conference includes:
Interdisciplinary Dialogue: The “Bridge” theme will encourage interdisciplinary dialogue by accepting contributions from aesthetics, anthropology, sociology, art history, architecture, urban studies, education, and many other fields, especially in the field of media and communication studies. Researchers participating in the conference will reveal new perspectives through the connections they establish between visual culture and the disciplines that touch it.
Cultural Connections: The symbolic meaning created by Istanbul’s unique geographical location combining east and west offers the possibility of understanding the different cultural contexts of visual research methods and establishing transcultural networks between them. The conference will discuss how visual methods can be used to examine and understand the intersections and exchanges between cultures and identities shaped by various visual cultural practices.
Innovative Research Approaches: Academics and researchers will demonstrate innovative approaches to visual data collection, analysis, and interpretation. From traditional image generation to digital visualization techniques, the conference will reveal the creative ways images can be used to address research questions and advance scientific inquiry.
Methodological Innovation: Participants attending the conference will explore how visual research methods have emerged with the transformation of paradigm and technology, alongside traditional research methods such as semiotics, psychoanalysis, content analysis, digital storytelling and discourse analysis.
Topics of Interest
We invite submissions for presentations, panels, exhibitions and workshops that align with the conference theme “Visual Bridges: Connecting Perspectives”.
Possible topics include but are not limited to:
Cinematic symbolism, bridges as narrative conduits
Cultural and historical connotations of bridges in media studies
Globalization and the evolution of visual storytelling
Visual ethnography, bridging cultures through imagery
Game design, visual communication as a bridge to engagement
Decolonizing visual anthropology, bridging representational gaps
Feminist/Queer/Gendered visual studies, bridging theory and practice
Educational visual methodologies, bridging traditional and digital media
Digital integration in film education, bridging past and present
Data visualization, bridging complexity and clarity
Ethical imperatives in visual research, bridging intent and impact
Interconnected identities in visual culture
Sustainability in visual methods, bridging creativity and responsibility
Local narratives, global audiences, bridging cultural specificity
Urban landscapes of Istanbul and elsewhere, bridges as symbols of transformation
The convergence of human creativity and AI in visual media
Submission Guidelines
We invite proposals for presentations, panels, and workshops that align with the conference theme “Visual Bridges: Connecting Perspectives”. Submissions should be in the form of a 250 word abstract.
Update: Due to popular demand, we have re-opened submissions till 18 February 2025. However, we are now reviewing abstracts submitted up to 15 January 2025 and will be in touch soon with decisions.
To submit an abstract, please follow this link https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/IVMC92025
For a quick how-to for submitting through Microsoft CMT, please click here