[spectre] CFP: RE:CONNECT — Int. MediaArtHistories Conference, Helsinki&Espoo, 11–14 May 2027

[Oliver Grau]

CALL FOR PAPERS 
RE:CONNECT — The 12th International Conference on the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology, Helsinki and Espoo, Finland, 11–14 May 2027 
 
uniarts.fi/en/events/mah2027 
 
Conference Dates: 11–14 May 2027 
Submission Deadline: 31 August 2026   
 
The 12th International Conference on the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology will take place in Helsinki and Espoo in 2027 with the theme: “RE: CONNECT — Universe of Images: The Global North Meets the Global South.” 
 
In a radically destabilized and increasingly multipolar world, shaped by geopolitical tensions, climate crises, eroding democracies, and shifting global alliances, re:connecting seems more urgent than ever. Rather than signalling a simple return or restitution, the “Re-:” in the conference theme names a critical reworking of relational structures across histories shaped by colonialism, technological dependency, multilingual exchange, and uneven access to cultural and computational infrastructures. 
 
Continuing the tradition of the MAH conference series, MAH 2027 engages a growing community of scholars from a range of disciplines including art history, contemporary art practice, art theory, history of science and technology, media studies, image science, visual studies, philosophy, cultural studies, anthropology, architecture theory, sound studies, and computer science, among others, to develop and share new research and scholarship at the intersecting fields of the histories of media art, science and technology. MAH 2027 is shaped by collaboration across Helsinki and Espoo’s academic, artistic, and cultural institutions. Bringing together universities, museums, and media art organizations, the conference will be situated within a vibrant ecology of artistic research, technological experimentation, and interdisciplinary exchange. 
 
MAH 2027 aims to open new dialogues between the so-called Global North and Global South in the areas of media art, research, and technology. With the topical notion “Universe of Images,” it addresses the multiplicity of images and their histories. Rather than searching for one “just image,” MAH 2027 turns toward the plurality of “just images:” imagery that is situated, translated, contested, preserved, refused, or reactivated across distinct cultural and technological contexts. Comprehensive attempts at coordinating and relating incompatibilities and incongruencies are more valuable than ever.  
 
With “Universe of Images” as a trigger and entry point, the conference will address the complex ways in which meaning and perception are mediated in contemporary media cultures, where media technologies have evolved beyond human scale and perspective. In terms of media art, digital culture and its research, this implies a cluster of challenges and future perspectives–and a heightened need to reconnect with the invaluable resources of multilocal traditions.  
 
We invite participants to address and challenge these concerns from the perspective of their disciplines, guided by the following subthemes:  
 
 
Media art histories across the so-called Global North and Global South 
• alternative modernities and uneven histories of technological development  
• postcolonial, decolonial, and non-aligned media art histories 
 
Equal and sustainable media structures locally and globally 
• multilingualism, translation, and transcultural media practices 
• diasporic networks, queer and feminist internationalisms, and transnational alliances 
• mediatechnological mechanisms of governance 
 
 
Images in the era of technological transition  
• histories of vision and its prostheses e.g. machine vision, algorithmic perception, and synthetic visual culture 
• the technological unconscious, distributed cognition and artistic thinking  
• preservation and archiving of media art 
 
 
Submission Guidelines  
Participants will be asked to enter an abstract, keywords, and a short bio through the submission form, according to the following guidelines: 
 
Abstract: 600—800 words describing the research objectives, methodology, and key arguments. Submissions will be reviewed anonymously. Please do not include author names, affiliations, or other identifying information in the abstract.   
Keywords: Up to 5 keywords indicating the main themes of the proposal. 
Biography: A brief biography (max. 200 words) of (each of) the author(s). 
 
Individual paper proposals should be planned as 15-minute presentations. Pre-constituted panel proposals are also welcome, particularly where they demonstrate transnational or global perspectives. 
 
Language 
All submissions must be in English.  
 
Originality 
All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. 
 
MAH 2027 will seek to reduce financial, administrative, and infrastructural barriers to participation, especially for colleagues from under-resourced regions and institutions. The conference is primarily in person, though limited hybrid participation may be possible where travel is not feasible. Organizers will provide supporting documentation for funding or travel purposes where possible. 
 
Important Dates 
Submission Deadline: 31 August 2026 
Notification of Acceptance: 31 October 2026 
 
 
Contact Information  
MAH2027 at uniarts.fi mailto:MAH2027 at uniarts.fi 
 
Organizing Committee 
University of Arts Helsinki: Leevi HAAPALA, Mika ELO, Mikhel PROULX; Aalto University: Harri LAAKSO, Laura BELOFF; Kiasma: Saara HACKLIN; EMMA: Ingrid ORMAN; AV-Arkki: Hanna-Maria ANTTILA 
 
Chair 
Leevi HAAPALA 
 
Hosts 
Academy of Fine Arts, University of Arts Helsinki, Helsinki  
School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University, Espoo 
 
Partner Organizations 
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, The Finnish National Gallery 
EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art 
AV-arkki, the Centre for Finnish Media Art 
Amos Rex
The Archive of Digital Art (ADA) 
Society for the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology  
 
Media Art Histories Executive Board 
Najam ASSAR, Founder, Lahore Digital Art Festival (PK) 
Andres BURBANO, Open University of Catalunya, (ES) 
Sean CUBITT, Melbourne University (AU) 
Oliver GRAU, MAH Conference founder and Chair, Society for the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology (AT/DE) 
Laura LEUZZI, Robert Gordon University, Scotland (UK) 
Gunalan NADARAJAN, University of Michigan (US) 
Yu-Chuan TSENG, National Tsing Hua University (TW) 
Yael Eylat VAN-ESSEN, HIT (Holon Inst. of Technology) and Tel Aviv University (IL) 
 
Honorary Board 
Linda HENDERSON, Erkki HUHTAMO, Douglas KAHN, Martin KEMP, Machiko KUSAHARA, Tim LENIOR, Douglas DAVIS, Jasia REICHARDT, Itsuo SAKANE, Rudolf ARNHEIM (†), Peter WEIBEL (†) 
 
  
 
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