2019 Saratoga Springs, New York
The 2019 International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA) conference included, photo essays, posters, and films that explored the theme “Visual Imperatives and Visual Uncertainties.” What should be attended to in visual studies of society, what can be dismissed or discounted, and what lies in-between? Visual sociology, and scholarly visual studies generally, may be understood as restlessly situated between modernist notions embracing science and post-modernist criticisms of that outlook. Can that tension be settled? Should we even try to do so?
SKIDMORE Collage – Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
The 2019 International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA) conference included, photo essays, posters, and films that explored the theme “Visual Imperatives and Visual Uncertainties.” What should be attended to in visual studies of society, what can be dismissed or discounted, and what lies in-between? Visual sociology, and scholarly visual studies generally, may be understood as restlessly situated between modernist notions embracing science and post-modernist criticisms of that outlook. Can that tension be settled? Should we even try to do so?
Conference Program
As always, the Conference was an intellectually vibrant, socially lively gathering. Accepted presenters came from more than thirty nations, and all seven continents—even Antarctica- were represented by attendees or their projects. Along with exceptional paper sessions, we presented films, a poster session, photography exhibits, and plenary workshops on Community Media Organizing and Multimodal Scholarship.
