Academic

Animation and Philosophy SAS Symposium 2018: Call for Proposals

Animation and Philosophy SAS Symposium 2018: Call for Proposals

The one-day academic symposium takes place during the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film and the FMX 2018 (25 April 2018).

It aims to be highly interdisciplinary and international in nature, bringing together scholars, students, academics and artists from diverse fields of research and professional practice.

Estonian filmmaker and animation researcher Ülo Pikkov (Body Memory, Empty Space), and author of Animasophy-Theoretical Writings on the Animated Film,  will deliver the Symposium's keynote address.

By developing ‘animasophy’, a more philosophical approach in the practice and critique of animation, we are developing something that is quintessentially human. In contrast to other mammals, the human kind is capable of abstract thinking. Birds and animals live in the present, but a human being can represent both the past and the future, construct symbols and tell stories. Men are the only mammals who can be fascinated by abstract texts, by playing with dolls or by the drama of an animated film. Therefore, we could say that animasophy embodies the essence of our humanity - Ülo Pikkov 

Apart from ITFS and FMX, the Animation and Philosophy symposium is organized, in collaboration with the Society for Animation Studies, the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, the Institute of Media Studies at Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, the AG Animation and the Literaturhaus Stuttgart.

Call for proposals:

The symposium welcomes papers, which negotiate the topic of philosophy in animation, comics and illustration. It intends to embrace academic and practice-based presentations from diverse angles. The examples below just provide some examples of possible topics, but they are by no means intended to be limiting in terms of thematic scope.

The symposium invites abstracts for 20-minute presentations and welcomes proposals on all aspects of philosophy in animation/film, games, comics (graphic novels) and illustration. Proposals, which relate to the symposium topic, will be preferred. To encourage a high number of quality submissions, proposals that negotiate the conference topic in a wider sense are also welcome.

As a first this year, selected conference papers additionally have the chance to be considered in substantially expanded form (after the conference) for the forthcoming book “Animation and Philosophy” in the book series Palgrave Animation.

Topics can include, but are not limited to:

  • Interdisciplinary papers that negotiate animation, games, comics or illustration from the angle of philosophic theory.
  • The philosophy of creation/production in animation, games, comics and illustration.
  • World building (virtual worlds) in animation, games, comics and illustration.
  • The role of the creator.
  • The role of the audience, reader or player.
  • VXR and philosophy: The suspension of disbelief, the reality of the unreal.
  • VR and augmented reality: New modes of perception.
  • Philosophy investigated from the perspective of animation studies.
  • Incarnations on unique forms of artistic expression in animation: Metamorphosis, exaggeration, condensation of form and meaning.
  • Using animation as a means of investigation to form a philosophical argument.
  • Cultural heritage and diversity in animation, games, comics and illustration.
  • Transcultural modes of creation and their implication for the production process.
  • Comics, animations or games about (famous) philosophers and/or philosophic theories.
  • Teaching philosophy through animation, games, comics or illustration.

Email abstracts of 350 words maximum (excluding title) to the attention of the conference review committee at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstracts should include your name, affiliation, email address and the title of your proposed paper. Please take care that you also submit/send a second anonymised version of the abstract for peer review. Also provide a short CV with a maximum of 300 words as a separate document.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 12, 2018. Authors of accepted papers will be notified in the week from April 2 or earlier.

Eligibility and Conference fee

The call is open to all interested scholars, researchers and practitioners. Accepted speakers as well as visitors of the symposium will need to get an accreditation for professionals at the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film or the FMX 2018 (either one is sufficient). This will allow full access to the symposium as a speaker.

The cost is 30 Euro  for early bird accreditation, in case you intend to come to the festival anyway, or 47 Euro for the regular accreditation (academic), in case you can only confirm the attendance after notification of paper acceptance.  Get the accreditation for the ITFS.

Prices for FMX accreditation (alternative option):

  • Conference Pass FMX (4 days) – Early Bird rate: 360 €
  • Conference Pass FMX (4 days) – Regular price: 400 €
  • Day Ticket FMX (1 day) – Early Bird rate: 180 €
  • Day Ticket FMX (1 day) – Regular price: 200 €

Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and FMX 2018

Venue: Literaturhaus Stuttgart, Wednesday, April 25, 2018

The SAS Animation and Philosophy Symposium  takes place 25 April 2018 in Stuttgart, during the 25th ITFS Festival. It is organized by ITFS and FMX, in collaboration with the Society for Animation Studies, the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, the Institute of Media Studies at Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, the AG Animation and the Literaturhaus Stuttgart.

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