Presence and Media
A special issue of Arts (ISSN 2076-0752).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 118
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Vilém Flusser places our appeal with technology as a form of play between us and the apparatus. This places our relationship with it as similar to how we interact with others. Martin Buber places the concept of presence as existing through dialog. What we call media, art sees as the connection between ideas of play and dialog. It is both the senses of play and dialog that draw us to the best installations, games, and interactive works. Furthermore, Flusser sees that the draw of the apparatus is that it presents itself as other, demanding that we relate to it as a relationship that places us as being-in-the-world.
This Special Issue welcomes original research on the experience of presence as a central focus in current media work. Our focus is on how the apparatus and technical images are used as an intermediary to the other, as well as how the apparatus can become the other itself. We are looking to be able to understand the place that presence has in defining contemporary media art practice.
We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor (k.a.feinstein@leeds.ac.uk) or to the Arts editorial office (arts@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.
Dr. Ken Feinstein
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Arts is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- presence
- new media
- otherness
- ethics
- interaction
- dialog
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
