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. 2016
  2. Published

    Zeitschrift für kritische Sozialtheorie und Philosophie: Technik und Technikdiskurse

    Voller, C. (Editor), 04.2016, Walter de Gruyter. 241 p. (Zeitschrift für kritische Sozialtheorie und Philosophie; vol. 3, no. 1)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  3. Published

    Spuren, Graphé, Wissenskünste. Zur Episteme der Spur

    Krämer, S., 10.03.2016, Der Spur auf der Spur : Sur les traces de la trace. Attia, S., Streble, I., Le Bouëdec, N. & Volkwein, A. (eds.). Heidelberg: Winter Universitätsverlag, p. 19-30 12 p. (Germanisch-romanische Monatsschrift/Beiheft; vol. 71).

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

  4. Published

    Cybernetics: The Macy Conferences 1946-1953. The Complete Transactions

    Pias, C. (Editor), 03.2016, Zurich: Diaphanes Verlag. 736 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Phonographic work: Reading and writing sound

    Großmann, R., 03.2016, Sound as popular culture: a research companion. Papenburg, J. G. & Schulze, H. (eds.). Cambridge: The MIT Press, p. 355-366 12 p.

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

  6. Published

    Sound as Musical Material

    Großmann, R. & Hanacek, M., 03.2016, Sound as popular culture: a research companion. Papenburg, J. G. & Schulze, H. (eds.). Cambridge: The MIT Press, p. 53-64 12 p.

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

  7. Published

    On the Existence of Digital Objects

    Hui, Y., 29.02.2016, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. 314 p. (Electronic Mediations; no. 4)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  8. Published

    Multimodal Crowd Sensing

    Vehlken, S., 15.02.2016, ReClaiming Participation: Technology - Mediation - Collectivity. Denecke, M., Ganzert, A., Otto, I. & Stock, R. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 51–66 16 p. (Edition Medienwissenschaft; vol. 15).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  9. Published

    Other Beginnings of Participative Sense Culture: Wild Media, Speculative Ecologies, Transgressions of the Cybernetic Hypothesis

    Hörl, E. H., 15.02.2016, ReClaiming Participation: technology - mediation - collectivity. Denecke, M., Gatzert, A., Otto, I. & Stock, R. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 93-121 29 p. (Media studies).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    Collectives, Connectives, and the ‘Nonsense1 of Participation

    Pias, C., 02.2016, ReClaiming participation: technology - mediation - collectivity . Denecke, M., Ganzert, A., Stock, R. & Otto, I. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 23-38 17 p.

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

  11. Published

    Einleitung

    Pias, C. & Rieger, S., 02.2016, Vollstes Verständnis: Utopien der Kommunikation. Pias, C. & Rieger, S. (eds.). 1 ed. Berlin / Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag, p. 7-13 7 p.

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

  12. Published

    ReClaiming Participation: Technology - Mediation - Collectivity

    Denecke, M. (Editor), Ganzert, A. (Editor), Otto, I. (Editor) & Stock, R. (Editor), 02.2016, Bielefeld: transcript Verlag. 296 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  13. Published

    Vollstes Verständnis: Utopien der Kommunikation

    Pias, C. (Editor) & Rieger, S. (Editor), 02.2016, 1 ed. Berlin / Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag. 208 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  14. Published

    Zur Aktualität der Rhythmusbewegung im 21. Jahrhundert: Eine Respondenz

    Großmann, R., 02.2016, In: Die Musikforschung. 69, 2, p. 157-160 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  15. Published

    Queer mobiles and mobile queers: Intersections, vectors, and movements in India

    Shah, N., 01.01.2016, Routledge Handbook of New Media in Asia. Hjorth, L. & Khoo, O. (eds.). Abingdon: Taylor & Francis, p. 275-284 10 p.

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

  16. Published

    The messenger as a model in Media Theory. Reflections on the philosophical di-mensions of theorizing Media

    Krämer, S., 01.01.2016, Media Transatlantic: Developments in Media and Communication Studies Between North American and German-Speaking Europe. N. F. (ed.). Cham: Springer Verlag, p. 197-213 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  17. Published

    Weltentzug und Weltzerfall (world-withdrawal and world-decay): Heidegger’s notions of withdrawal from the world and the decays of worlds in the times of computer games

    Fuchs, M., 01.01.2016, Philosophical Perspectives on Play. Maclean, M., Russell, W. & Ryall, E. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 152-165 14 p.

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

  18. Published

    Lebenstreue Medien: Von immersierten Körpern zu digitalen Menschmodellen

    Kasprowicz, D., 01.2016, Die mediatisierte Gesellschaft: Leben und arbeiten mit immersiven Medien. Hochscherf, T. (ed.). Marburg: Schüren Verlag, p. 27-39 13 p. (Jahrbuch für immersive Medien; vol. 2015).

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

  19. Published

    A Single Swing of the Shovel: Former West Proxies

    Levin, B. & Tollmann, V., 2016, Former West: Art and the Contemporary after 1989. Hlavajova, M. & Sheikh, S. (eds.). Cambridge MA: The MIT Press, p. 519-534 16 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  20. Published

    Computerscreen und Tafelbild

    Warnke, M., 2016, Let's mix (all media) together & Hans Dieter Huber . Paflik-Huber, H. (ed.). Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz Verlag, p. 293-298 6 p.

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

  21. Published

    Das totale Archiv: Zur Funktion des Nicht-Wissens in der digitalen Kultur

    Bernard, A., 2016, In: Merkur. 801, 70, p. 5-17 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review