Institute of Culture and Aesthetics of Digital Media

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

The ICAM researches the conditions, effects and aesthetics of digital media in connection with processes of culturalization, the technologization of social and economic relations, and the generation and archiving of knowledge. Our studies reflect on how (digital) media always also contribute to shaping the signs and objects they store, transmit or process in a specific way. At the same time, we are interested in how certain cultural techniques contribute to shaping the usage and areas of application of digital media.

Researchers at the ICAM explore the cultural and technological history of digital media—from cybernetics and the beginnings of the computer all the way to present-day network technologies, from textual and acoustic to visual forms of media representation, and from the classics to current concepts of media theory formation.

Main research areas

The ICAM researches the conditions, effects and aesthetics of digital media in connection with processes of culturalization, the technologization of social and economic relations, and the generation and archiving of knowledge. Our studies reflect on how (digital) media always also contribute to shaping the signs and objects they store, transmit or process in a specific way. At the same time, we are interested in how certain cultural techniques contribute to shaping the usage and areas of application of digital media.

In the different core areas researchers at the ICAM explore the cultural and technological history of digital media—from cybernetics and the beginnings of the computer all the way to present-day network technologies, from textual and acoustic to visual forms of media representation, and from the classics to current concepts of media theory formation. 

The ICAM maintains close institutional contact and cooperates with the Leuphana, e.g., the Moving Image Lab of the Innovation Incubator, the Leuphana College, the Leuphana Arts Program and the Leuphana Graduate School. Furthermore, the ICAM is responsible for the Audio and Video Labs of the Computer and Media Center of Leuphana. 

  1. RCA-SP5: Performing Anonymity - Sub-Project of "Reconfiguring Anonymity - Contemporary Forms of Reciprocity, Identifiability and Accountability in Transformation"

    Wuggenig, U. (Project manager, academic), Broeckmann, A. (Coordination), Knecht, M. (Project manager, academic), Bachmann, G. (Project manager, academic), Bialski, P. (Project staff), Koch, G. (Project manager, academic) & Zurawski, N. (Project manager, academic)

    Volkswagen Foundation

    01.07.1531.12.18

    Project: Research

  2. Die heiligen Kanäle

    Hörl, E. (Project manager, academic)

    01.03.1531.08.17

    Project: Other

  3. Treueschwur und Realitätsverlust. Phasen und Dispositive auditiver Medienkultur

    Großmann, R. (Project manager, academic) & Pelleter, M. (Project manager, academic)

    19.02.1520.02.15

    Project: Scientific event

  4. CCP: Complexity or control? Paradigms for sustainable development

    Vilsmaier, U. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Hörl, E. (Project manager, academic), Laubichler, M. (Project manager, academic), Herberg, J. (Coordination), Caniglia, G. (Project staff), Leistert, O. (Project staff), Schrickel, I. (Project staff), Meyer, E. (Project staff) & Schmieg, G. (Project staff)

    Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony

    01.01.1531.03.20

    Project: Research

  5. Hypothetizität. Kernkraft, Computersimulation und das ›German Manhattan Project‹

    Vehlken, S. (Project manager, academic)

    01.10.1420.08.20

    Project: Research

  6. Metaphorology of Flows and Streams

    Denecke, M. (Project manager, academic)

    01.10.1406.04.19

    Project: Dissertation project

  7. Videos für Wikipedia-Artikel

    Pias, C. (Project manager, academic)

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    01.05.1431.12.14

    Project: Research

  8. Nicht-sprachliche Klangzeichen

    Großmann, R. (Project manager, academic)

    German Research Foundation

    01.04.1430.04.17

    Project: Research