Visual Americas
Image, Text, Performance
12th World Congress
of the International American Studies Association
Department of American Culture and Literature
Hacettepe University, Beytepe Campus, Ankara, Türkiye
May 14-16, 2025
Abstract Submission: Closed | Registration/Payment Deadline: February 28, 2025
CONTACT: congress@iasa-world.org
Pay Congress Participation Fee | Pay IASA Membership Fee
CALL FOR PAPERS
As we approach the end of the twenty-first century’s first quarter, we find ourselves in an era that W.J.T. Mitchell famously termed the “pictorial turn”—a period marked by the abundance and explosion of visual imagery. Indeed, the phenomenon is by no means new; our species has always relied on its visual perception, in combination with other senses, creating a hybridity of perception expressed through cultural and artistic products. Visuals and visuality have become the expected and primary end-points of human experience and are key in our interpretation of the world. Moreover, what Mitchell described as a “postlinguistic, postsemiotic rediscovery,” a novel burgeoning of the visual, is placing the image, regardless of the form in which it is created and presented, at the center of our social and cultural interactions.
Recognizing the crucial role of visuality in shaping our everyday experiences, we invite scholars and practitioners to contribute to a vibrant dialogue on the role and impact of visuality in the American context. The congress venue, Ankara, located in Anatolia, a bridge between two continents, offers a distinct blend of cultural visuality. The figurative and nonfigurative art forms of multiple Anatolian civilizations over the centuries provide a fitting backdrop for discussions on visual narratives and cross-cultural exchange.
Congress Theme
The congress will delve into the multifaceted aspects of the visual culture of the Americas, exploring how visual narratives, from ancient cave drawings to contemporary digital forms, have evolved and continue to shape our understanding of the Americas and/in the world. It will also investigate how contemporary visual practices, empowered by digital technologies, are redefining the ways we produce, circulate, and contextualize images in the translocal, hemispheric, and transoceanic contexts.
Key Questions
- How do past or contemporary visual practices inform and influence societies?
- What is the role of digitalization in shaping our perception and experience of imagery?
- How does visuality contribute to and alter meaning-making processes?
- In what ways do ideologies influence the creation and interpretation of visual objects and texts?
- How do visual components enhance literary works and other textual forms?
- How does visuality contribute, shape, and change performance and/or theatrical space?
Suggested Topics
- The text as image, the image as text; i.e., the narrative function of visuality and the image within the text
- Visual storytelling in its various forms (e.g., drawing, painting, television, film, illustrations, graphic novels, comics, video or computer games, social media)
- The interplay of visualities in the performing arts and media
- The aesthetics and politics of visuality
- The impact of digital visual culture in modern society
- Visuality and the concept of visibility as a matter of equality and/or representation in society, politics, culture, and the arts
- Analyses, ideologies, and the ethics of visuality including looking, seeing, making in/visible, showing, or withholding an image
- Policing, or a refusal to regulate, visuality and visibility
Submission Guidelines
We welcome proposals for 20-minute presentations. Submissions are open to academics, early-career researchers, and creative practitioners. Please send submissions as an attached Word document to: congress@iasa-world.org
Submissions MUST include the Author’s:
1) First and last names
2) Institutional affiliation
3) ORCID number
4) Email address
5) Academic disciplines
6) Presentation title
7) 250-300 word abstract
8) 200-250 word biographical note
9) Keywords
Congress Language: English
Important Dates (Updated)
December 15, 2024: Abstract submission deadline
January 17, 2025: Notification of acceptance
February 28, 2025: Final payment deadline for presenters/Confirmation of attendance (on-site/online)
May 14-16, 2025: Congress
Host University
Founded in 1967 and located in Ankara, Türkiye, Hacettepe University is one of the nation’s leading institutions of higher education. Its emblem, designed by a second-year medical student during the university’s early years, is a stag—a Hittite deity and an amalgamated version of the letters “H” and “T” for Hacettepe. The motto of the university, “To the Leading Edge…Towards Being the Best,” defines its mission: to contribute to national and global scientific knowledge, train qualified researchers, and develop cooperation among different disciplines, while seeking excellence and considering ethical and social responsibilities such as merit, transparency, participation, and how to benefit society. The university has two main campuses, one in old Ankara, which houses the medical center, and the other in Beytepe, with over a thousand acres of woodland.
Hacettepe University offers associate, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in the Medical and Health Sciences, Science and Engineering Sciences, and Social Sciences and Humanities. With 53,000+ students enrolled in 150+ bachelor’s degree programs and 200+ graduate degree programs, supported by 3,600+ academic staff, the university houses fourteen graduate schools and institutes, two applied schools, one conservatory, five vocational schools and over a hundred research and application centers.
Congress Fee
1) Congress Participation On-Site Fees:
– Tenured Faculty Members (IASA Members) On-Site: 120 EUROS
– Non–tenured Faculty Members and PhD Candidates (IASA Members) On-site: 80 EUROS
– Tenured Faculty (Non-IASA Members) On-site: 160 EUROS
– Non–tenured Faculty Members and PhD Candidates (Non-IASA Members) On-site: 100 EUROS
2) Congress Participation Online Fees:
– IASA Member Participants: 30 EUROS
– Non-IASA Member Participants: 60 EUROS
3) Congress Participation Exclusive for IASA Fellowship Recipients-Previous and Current
– Online Participation (IASA Fellowship Recipients): 20 EUROS
– On-Site Participation (IASA Fellowship Recipients): 50 EUROS
The On-Site Congress Fee covers:
– Congress materials
– Coffee breaks
– Congress Participation Certificates
– Administrative costs (including the usage of conference halls, multimedia, and invoicing)
The Online Congress Fee covers:
Congress Participation Certificate, Administrative costs (including the usage of conference halls, multimedia, and invoicing)
The Congress Fee does NOT include:
Transportation, Accommodation and meals, Insurance, Visas, Gala dinner, Tours
Keynote Speaker
Djelal Kadir is the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature at Pennsylvania State University and, most recently, Visiting Professor at La Sapienza, University of Rome (2016). He is a member of the founding board of the Institute for World Literature, of Synapsis: The European School of Comparative Studies, and of the Stockholm Collegium of Literary History. He is the Founding President of the International American Studies Association and former Editor of the international quarterly World Literature Today and Director of the Neustadt International Prize in Literature. His authored books include: Juan Carlos Onetti (Twayne, 1977), Columbus and the Ends of the Earth: Europe’s Prophetic Rhetoric as Conquering Ideology (University of California Press, 1992; Chinese edition forthcoming Jiuzhou Press); The Other Writing: Postcolonial Essays in Latin America’s Writing Culture (Purdue UP, 1993); Questing Fictions: Latin America’s Family Romance (University of Minnesota Press, 1987) and Memos from the Besieged City: Lifelines for Cultural Sustainability (Stanford UP, 2011). He is the Co-editor of the Routledge Companion to World Literature (2012; 2022), the Co-Editor of Literary Cultures of Latin America: A Comparative History (Oxford UP, 2004), and of the Longman Anthology of World Literature (2004). He is Co-Editor of Literature: A World History and Principal Editor of Vol 4, Twentieth Century (Wiley Blackwell, 2022. Chinese edition forthcoming from Sichuan People’s Publishing House). His most recent book project is “Solitude”.
Publication Opportunity
Review of International American Studies (RIAS), the title of the University of Silesia Press, is the peer-reviewed, electronic/print-on-demand, Open Access journal of the International American Studies Association. Articles must be submitted through the RIAS website: https://www.journals.us.edu.pl/index.php/RIAS
Accommodation & Travel Info
Ankara is a large metropolitan center where one can find several choices for hotels as well as smaller Bed and Breakfast options. We recommend selecting a hotel downtown (in Kızılay) for the most inclusive experience possible. For those who plan on using public transportation from Kızılay, the Koru metro line is the easiest way to reach Hacettepe University, Beytepe Campus, where the Congress will take place.
We recommend the following hotels, located in Kızılay, the heart of the city, within walking distance to the metro station (the commute to Beytepe Campus will take around 45 minutes during rush hour).
Dedeman Hotel: A number of rooms are reserved for congress participants at a special rate. Please email Ms. Bahar Uğurlu and mention IASA 12th World Congress to take benefit of the special rates. These room rates are available until the beginning of February 2025.
reservation@dedemankizilay.ankara.com
Single room: 3000 TL per day (about 80 Euros)
Double room: 4000 TL per day (about 105 Euros)
Other options
Konur Otel: https://konurhotel.com.tr/
Alba Hotel Ankara: https://www.albahotels.com.tr/ankara/
Alternatively, we have reserved a few on-campus dormitory rooms for PhD students on a double occupancy basis. The fee is around 30 Euros per person, per night. Since the number of rooms reserved is limited, this is strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to share a room, please send a request through mail at congress@iasa-world.org
How to reach Hacettepe University, Beytepe Campus, Ankara?
From Ankara Airport:
TRANSPORTATION FROM ANKARA ESENBOĞA AIRPORT TO KIZILAY AND AŞTI (ANKARA CENTRAL BUS STATION)
There are two private and one public bus service running between the airport and the city center.
AnkaraAir: Buses are available right outside the arrival hall at the airport terminal. The main points of departure are right outside the International and Domestic Terminals. Every 30 minutes from 5:00 am to 12:00 am; every 60 minutes from 12:00 am to 5:00 am. Fare: 150 TL (approx. 5 Euros) Can be paid on the bus in cash. Estimated time to city center (Kızılay): 45 minutes
Havaş: Buses are available right outside the arrival hall at the airport terminal. The main point of departure is right outside the International and Domestic Terminals. Havaş buses do not have a fixed schedule. They depart according to flight arrival times.
Fare: 150 TL (approx. 5 Euros) Can be paid on the bus in cash.
Estimated time to city center: 45 minutes
https://havas.net/en/bus-services
EGO Public Transport: Line #442
Departs every 30 minutes, Estimated time: 55 minutes
Taxi: 7/24
Taxis are available outside the airport terminal. The two main points of departure are right outside the International and Domestic
Terminals. All taxis are equipped with a meter, and the fare depends on the distance travelled.
Fare: 1200 TL (approx. 35 Euros) Estimated time: 35 minutes
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO BEYTEPE:
You can purchase a reloadable AnkaraKart (Ankara’s public transportation card) at metro stations (from machines or cashiers) for 60 TL (approx. 2 Euros). One-way fare is approximately 21 TL (approx. 0.60 Euros) and must be added to the card before use. You can also pay fares via a contactless credit card, for a slightly higher fee. Take the Koru metro line to go to Hacettepe University (Beytepe Campus) by metro from any of the following stations: Kızılay, Necatibey, Milli Kütüphane, Söğütözü, MTA, ODTÜ, Bilkent, Tarım Bakanlığı/Danıştay. Once you arrive at the Beytepe stop you can take the Hacettepe University ring bus into the campus using your AnkaraKart for a small additional transfer fee. The bus stop (Bus #130) is located outside the metro station a little further towards the Overpass. You may also prefer to take a taxi to the campus. It takes about 45 minutes from Kızılay to reach Beytepe Campus by public transportation. Taxi: Kızılay to Beytepe Campus costs around 500 TL (15 Euros).
From Istanbul Airport:
From Istanbul Airport (IST/European Side), there are service buses (Havaist) that go to different regions of the city. Please refer to the link below for information.
Metro from İstanbul Airport is still under construction and has limited stops. Please refer to the link below for information.
Taxis are available but fairly expensive, hence, Havaist bus services are recommended from İstanbul (IST) airport.
A bus connection between İstanbul and Sabiha Gokcen Airports (SAW/Anatolian side airport) exists at the ground platforms as well.
From Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), the metro station can be reached from inside the arrival terminal. There are also buses that run to central points in the Anatolian and European sides. Metro is a better option from SAW since reaching several regions is possible. Metro accepts credit cards (charges are slightly higher), or a refillable İstanbul Card can be purchased. İstanbul Card works in metros and public buses and can be recharged in several major metro stations.
For trains from İstanbul to Ankara, you need to be on the Anatolian side. Söğütlüçeşme Station is the main station for high-speed trains between İstanbul and Ankara. Purchasing a train ticket in advance is recommended. Please refer to the link below for information (change language to English).
https://ebilet.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr
The main intercity bus terminal in İstanbul is in Esenler but some companies collect passengers from other hubs in the city. Bus tickets can also be purchased online.
Major Bus Companies: Flix Bus (Operated by Kamil Koç), Pamukkale, Varan, and Ulusoy.
If flights are preferred, Pegasus flights from Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) can be preferred. Please consider the traffic delays as you head to the airport.
Please note: Rideshare services (such as Uber and Lyft) are unavailable in Turkey. They will redirect you to a local taxi company. The Uber equivalent in Turkey is BiTaksi.
Refer to the Istanbul Metro Map below for further details.
https://www.metro.istanbul/YolcuHizmetleri/AgHaritalari
Plan your metro journey through: https://www.metro.istanbul/en/
Post-Congress Ankara Tour
The organizing committee will facilitate a tour of Ankara on Saturday, May 17.
The preliminary program includes:
Rahmi M. Koç Museum (Rahmi Koç Müzesi): 350 TL (~10.15 EUR)
Anıtkabir Mausoleum: Free
War of Independence Museum (First Parliament Museum): 60.00 TL (~1.75 EUR)
Ankara Castle (Ankara Kalesi): Free
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi): 12 EUR (official price in euros)
Rahmi M. Koç Museum (Rahmi Koç Müzesi): 350 TL (~10.15 EUR)
A lunch break followed by an hour of souvenir shopping will be accommodated(expenses to be covered individually). The tour is scheduled to finish at about 5.00 PM local time.
Note: The cost for the tour per person, which includes an English-speaking guide, bus rental, and parking fees, will depend on the number of participants. The total estimated cost is approximately 400 EUR which will be divided among all participants of the tour.
To assist us with the necessary arrangements, please reply to the email sent from the Organising Committee (congress@iasa-world.org) if you are interested in joining the tour so that we can reserve enough seats on the bus.
We look forward to welcoming you to Ankara!
Gala Dinner
The Gala Dinner will be held at the CerModern Arts Center. CerModern is a versatile place for art exhibitions, intellectual and aesthetic exchanges, and a “living and breathing art space.” The building was converted from an old railroad station and is a charming blend of the vintage and the modern. https://www.cermodern.org/home.html
The Emory Elliott Award
Call for Submissions
Emory Elliott Award for Outstanding Paper
Presented at the 12th IASA World Congress
Hacettepe University, Türkiye
May 14-16, 2025
The Emory Elliott Award Deadlines:
- January 31, 2025 – Abstract submission deadline
- February 28, 2025 – Notification of shortlisted candidates
- March 17, 2025 – Full paper submission deadline
- May 5, 2025 – Winner notification
IASA announces a special award to honor the memory of Professor Emory Elliott (1942-2009) in recognition of his contribution to American Studies. He supported an international outlook and encouraged young scholars and professionals both in North America and in other countries around the world, and served for many years on the Executive Council of IASA.
As in the past, the award will be given to an outstanding paper submitted for an IASA conference. It will carry a special citation and an honorarium to help partially recoup the expenses of travel to the IASA conference. The award recipient will present their paper at a special session of the conference. The award-winning paper and up to two other highly commended papers from the competition will be published in the proceedings of the conference, or in other resulting publications in print, or in RIAS: The Review of International American Studies, which is IASA’s refereed journal.
Eligibility
Keeping in view how Prof. Elliott went out of his way to encourage young scholars and faculty in the early and middle stages of their careers, the eligibility for the award is restricted to junior or mid-level professionals (within 10 years of obtaining their terminal degree) regardless of nationality, academic affiliation, or discipline.
Selection Rules
- A panel of judges will be appointed by the IASA Executive Committee to evaluate papers. The decision
of the judges will be final. - The Award winner will be announced prior to the conference.
- IASA officers, executive members, and officially designated conference organizers are not eligible to
compete.
Application Procedure
- To apply for prize consideration, send your name, contact information, abstract, and date and place of your terminal degree to: secretary@iasa-world.org by January 31, 2025. (It is strongly recommended that, to make sure that you will be on the congress program, you also submit your abstract in the conference system as a usual paper submission. The Prize committee will review all abstracts and will, by February 28, request those which are highest ranked by them to then submit a full paper for consideration. If you are not contacted by February 28, you may assume that your submission is no longer under consideration for the prize. All competitors must be members of IASA by the time of the Congress if not before.
- The assessment of the award will take into consideration the abstract as well as the written paper, paying
special attention to its subject, structure, and content. Papers can be written in any of the four official
languages of IASA congresses: English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. - The length of the final paper submitted should be 3,000 – 3,500 words. It should be sent along with a
short CV (no more than 2 pages) and a statement from the candidate guaranteeing that it is their own
original unpublished paper. Due date for those materials, (to be submitted only if requested to by the prize
committee) will be March 17, 2025. Send those materials to secretary@iasa-world.org with a copy to
bilge.mutluay@gmail.com - The prize committee will then evaluate the full papers under its review and rank them, choosing one
winner and, if they wish, suggesting that up to two additional papers be recognized as noteworthy and
recommending that they be published in an IASA venue as noted above. The winner will be notified by the
prize committee by May 5, 2025.
The monetary part of the award will vary from year to year depending on finances, but it is expected that it will be in the range of the equivalent of at least 300 Euros. It will be the responsibility of the prize candidates to follow all of the stipulations above. The decision of the judges is final.
Congress Organizing Committee
Congress Organizer
• Prof. S. Bilge Mutluay Çetintaş, IASA President, Hacettepe University, Türkiye
International Organizing Team (in alphabetical order)
• Dr. Justin Battin, RMIT University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Prof. Stefan L. Brandt, IASA Executive Director, University of Graz, Austria
• Ms. Mariya Doğan, MA, IASA Secretary, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Prof. Paweł Jędrzejko, RIAS Co-editor, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland
• Prof. Manpreet Kaur Kang, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India
• Prof. Elisabetta Marino, IASA Treasurer, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy
• Dr. Nathaniel R. Racine, RIAS Co-Editor, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, USA
• Dr. György “George” Tóth, IASA Emerging Scholars Forum Coordinator, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK
• Prof. Gabriela Vargas-Cetina, IASA Vice-President, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mexico
• Mr. Ahmad Ishtiaque Tapadar, IASA Media Officer, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India
Local Organizing Team (in alphabetical order)
• Prof. Özge Özbek Akıman, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Prof. Ayça Germen, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Dr. Ezgi İlimen, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Prof. Cem Kılıçarslan, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Prof. Ceylan Özcan, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Dr. Duygu Beste Başer Özcan, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Prof. Merve Özman, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Prof. Tanfer Emin Tunç, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
• Dr. Gülşen Aslan Uslu, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
Please find below the CFP for circulation.
