IVSA Conferences

Celebrating the Power of Visual Narratives in Understanding the World

The International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA) stands at the forefront of an innovative academic discipline that intersects sociology and visual studies. Founded with the belief that images hold a distinctive power to communicate, question, and analyze human experiences, IVSA encourages scholars, artists, researchers, and practitioners to explore the visual world through an interdisciplinary lens. Each year we gather to share knowledge and expertise.

Our Next Conference

2027 IVSA Conference: Cardiff, Wales, UK

Venue: University of South Wales and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Conference dates: Wednesday June 30th – Saturday July 3rd 2027

We’re delighted to announce the IVSA Conference 2027, taking place in Cardiff from Wednesday 30 June to Saturday 3 July. Hosted by the University of South Wales and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, this year’s conference brings together scholars, artists, and practitioners from around the world to explore A Dance of Perception – the symbiosis between image and sound, inviting rich, interdisciplinary conversations across visual sociology, sound, culture, and social life.

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2027 IVSA Conference: Cardiff, Wales, UK

Visual Studies Exhibition

IVSA and its affiliate journal, Visual Studies, are collaborating to organize an annual exhibition to facilitate dialogue among practitioners and scholars at the intersection of multiple approaches and rationalities. It invites a collective, critical reflection on what being visually engaged could mean outside the economy of scholarly knowledge and practices. In creating a space where IVSA members, visual social scientists, artists, and practitioners can experiment with visuals, visuality, and visualization (including beyond “the visual” per se through sounds and other media), we invite participants to explore how they approach the boundary between (their) scholarship and (their) art.

Visual Studies Exhibition

IVSA Film Festival

The IVSA Film Festival is organised by the International Visual Sociology Association, and is usually held during our annual conference which moves to a different international venue each year. The festival consists of live screenings and installations in front of live audiences, alongside an online screening programme that runs concurrently with the conference.

IVSA Film Festival

Image credit: Nigel Brunsdon

Conference Archive

2025 Suwon, South Korea

AJOU UNIVERSITY, SUWON, SOUTH KOREA

The 2025 International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA) Conference, held at Ajou University in Suwon from June 25–28, 2025, has now concluded. Over the course of four days, scholars and practitioners from around the world gathered to explore pressing topics such as decentering power in visual studies, the visibility—and invisibility—of Asia, and South Korea’s rich legacy in filmic sociology.

2024 Xalapa, MX

UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA, XALAPA, MX

The 2024 IVSA conference was dedicated to exploring the concept of “visual accountability” or visually mediated practices of regulation and control. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and accelerating through it, we identified a shift in progress whereby digital images took an increasingly central role in constructing, maintaining, and transforming formal and informal processes of adjudicating what counts as true. Discussions centered on what kinds of images are considered valid, allowed, and accepted as true, how they convince and get authorized, and how they become usable.

Full Conference Archive

Calls For Proposals To Host The Conference

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING PROPOSALS FOR HOSTING OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCES IN AND .

As an organization deeply committed to the exploration of visual narratives and their impact on society, we believe that the choice of the conference venue plays a crucial role in shaping the event’s spirit and fostering meaningful connections among our global network of visual enthusiasts, scholars, and practitioners. We call upon our dedicated members, visionaries, and passionate advocates of visual sociology to consider this opportunity to showcase your vibrant cultural heritage, innovative research initiatives, and warm hospitality as you prepare to welcome the world to your city

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