Ever since the 1980s, the International Visual Sociology Association has sporadically included research-creation exhibitions as part of its conference program. IVSA conferences have thus always sought to include creative work, often in the form of photography exhibitions––photography historically being a core medium in the development of visual sociology. This need for engaging with creative works by IVSA members illustrate the porosity between art and research at the core of the development of visual sociology, both as an institutionalized field and as a community of scholars. However, the increasingly diverse range of media and practices being exhibited over the years, beyond photography, reflects how the discipline also expanded interdisciplinary conversations and progressively leaned towards experimental practice.

In 2022, the IVSA exhibition strategy started to become more closely related to the activities of the association’s flagship journal, Visual Studies. In recent years, Visual Studies has increasingly expanded its approach to visuals and aesthetics while continuously reflecting on its practices and engagement. This evolution is the result of a fast-growing collective commitment toward inclusivity, reflexivity, and experimentation within the journal’s editorial team and across the IVSA. As the IVSA conference expands towards less writing-centered media of dissemination, including through a dedicated Visualistas film festival in 2025, we continue to support the broader recognition of art-based, if not radically experimental, forms of research.