Veranstaltung: Expanded Animation 2026 – Conference on Animation and Interactive Art | 09.–11.09.2026

RESEARCH PAPER

Research Papers focus on academic works that present study results, literature reviews, theoretical considerations, etc., based on state-of-the-art research methods.

Presentation Format

• Presentation: 10 min. + panel discussion
• No exhibition or on-site demonstration
• Accepted papers will be published in the ACM Digital Library

Submission Guidelines 

• Word Count Maximum: 3,500 (excluding references), single-column
• Submitted paper is original and has not been published nor is currently accepted for publication elsewhere
• Submissions are peer-reviewed (double-blind process)
• Submission must use the ACM Manuscript Template (see Submission Guidelines on the website)

DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM

The Doctoral Consortium offers a unique opportunity for doctoral students to explore and develop their research interests in animation, play, and interactive art. In this interdisciplinary workshop, students will receive feedback under the guidance of distinguished researchers.

We invite PhD students who feel they will benefit from expert feedback on their dissertation work to apply. Ideally, candidates should have a clear topic and research approach and have made some progress, but are not yet ready to defend their thesis.

Presentation Format

• 10-minute presentation
• Followed by a panel discussion and feedback session
• Accepted papers will be published in the ACM Digital Library
• Note: No exhibition or on-site demonstration required

Submission Guidelines 

• Submissions are peer-reviewed (single-blind process)
• Submission must use the ACM Manuscript Template (see Submission Guidelines on the website)
  1. Extended Abstract (Max. 2,000 words, excl. references) Please submit a document describing your PhD work. To ensure a productive feedback session, we recommend structuring your text to cover:
     • Motivation: What drives your research?
     • Research Gap & Questions: What problem are you solving?
     • Methodology: Your approach (artistic research, experimental, theoretical, etc.).
     • Current Status: What have you achieved so far?
     • Next Steps: What are your plans for the future?
  2. Additional Material (Appendices)
     • Curriculum Vitae (CV): A brief summary of your academic background.
     • Optional: Video documentation or images representing the work (max 3 min, max size 150MB)
     • Note: Supervisors cannot be authors of the paper, but can be acknowledged inside of it

EXPANDED PLAY GALLERY

Expanded Play is a gallery track for the Expanded Conference that features interactive and playful artistic works within the context of Expanded Media, including fields such as games, mixed-reality, spatial interaction, and human-computer interaction. In particular, experimental works that span multiple domains and offer innovative approaches to play are highly encouraged. Selected works will be exhibited over the course of a week and typically require supervision.

Presentation Format

•  Lightning talk (3 min.) + discussion

Submission Guidelines 

• Submissions are peer-reviewed (single-blind process)
• Submission must use the ACM Manuscript Template (see Submission Guidelines on the website)
• Accepted papers will be published in the ACM Digital Library
• Abstract (1000 words) with the following required information:
  • Description of the interactive work
  • How it fits into the scope of the Expanded Play gallery
  • Short description of implementation (how it is implemented, e.g., HMD or screen-based project, performance, etc.)
• Representative image
• Video (max 3 min, max size 150MB)
• The equipment and technical information required (technical rider, required space, etc.)

Any supplementary material (press kit, portfolio, etc.) which shows your previous work is also welcome but not required! Anonymising the material is not necessary here.
Gallery: Atelierhaus Salzamt