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. Published

    Giovan Battista Della Porta's construction of pneumatic phenomena and his use of recipes as heuristic tools

    Borrelli, A., 01.08.2020, In: Centaurus. 62, 3, p. 406-424 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Glaubwürdigkeit als Gegenstand der Medienkritik: Befunde einer Studie zur medialen Berichterstattung über die NSU-Morde

    Thomas, T., Grittmann, E. & Virchow, F., 01.01.2015, In: Communicatio socialis. 48, 2, p. 138-151 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    "God Is in the Details", or The Filing Box Answers

    Warnke, M., 2011, Imagery in the 21st Century. Grau, O. & Veigl, T. (eds.). Cambridge, USA: The MIT Press, p. 339-348 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  4. Published

    Goebbels's Voice

    Hagen, W., 2013, In: Forum Modernes Theater. 28, 1, p. 69-79 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Going online, doing gender: Alltagspraktiken rund um das Internet in Deutschland und Australien

    Ahrens, J., 2009, Bielefeld: transcript Verlag. 321 p. (Critical media studies; vol. 4)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Good Vibrations: Eine Geschichte der elektronischen Musikinstrumente

    Brilmayer, B. (Editor), Hardjowirogo, S.-I. (Editor) & Restle, C. (Editor), 18.04.2017, Berlin: Deutscher Kunstverlag. 168 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesExhibition cataloguesTransfer

  8. E-pub ahead of print

    Governing Objects from a Distance: Blockchains as Organizers of Environmentality

    Leistert, O., 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) Explorations in Digital Cultures. Burkhardt, M., Shnayien, M. & Grashöfer, K. (eds.). Lüneburg: meson press, p. 5-20 16 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Grammophon-Erziehung und Beat-Bildung: Szenen medien/musikalischer Bildungs-Phantasmen

    Pelleter, M., 2015, Medien – Bildung – Dispositive: Beiträge zu einer interdisziplinären Medienbildungsforschung. Othmer, J. & Weich, A. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 141-155 15 p. (Medienbildung und Gesellschaft; vol. 30).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Graphism and Flatness. The Line as Mediator between Time and Space, Intuition and Concept

    Krämer, S., 2008, The Power Of Line. Faietti, M. & Wolf, G. (eds.). München: Hirmer, p. 10-19 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review