CAGA 2026 | 8th Conference of AG Animation | 8. Jahrestagung der AG Animation

FRAMES UND INBETWEENS.
Positionen und Perspektiven der deutschsprachigen Animationsforschung

Universität Paderborn | Mi, 18.–Fr, 20. November 2026 

CALL FOR PAPERS

Deadline CfP: 15. Juni 2026
Annahme bis:  01. Juli 2026

Die AG Animation lädt mit ihrer nächsten Jahrestagung zu einer Bestandsaufnahme der Animationsforschung im deutschsprachigen Raum ein. Nach mehreren stärker international ausgerichteten Konferenzen möchten wir mit der Jahrestagung 2026 den Fokus auf den aktuellen Stand der Animation sowie Animationsforschung in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz lenken. Welche Themen und Gegenstände treiben die deutschsprachige Animationsforschung um? Welche Framings – also theoretischen, methodischen, strukturellen Rahmungen – sind dabei relevant und welche Inbetweens – im Sinne von Forschungsdesideraten und Wissenslücken – gilt es dabei zu identifizieren? 

Der Tagungstitel verweist auf gleich mehrere Aspekte, die den Horizont der Veranstaltung abstecken. 

1. Mit Frames und Inbetweens sind zunächst grundlegende Mechanismen von Animation assoziiert: zum einen das basal filmische Phänomen, Einzelframes in Bewegung zu versetzen, und zum anderen die Qualität, in ihrem Dazwischen eine eigene ästhetische Bildlichkeit zu erzeugen – ganz im Sinne von McLarens Animations-Definition “what happens between each frame is much more important than what exists on each frame”. Es geht uns um aktuelle wissenschaftliche Framings, aber auch die Relevanz der Zwischenräume als Orte, an denen Forschung innovativ ansetzen kann. Die Frage nach Frames und Inbetweens zielt darauf ab, sich über aktuelle (inter)disziplinäre Rahmungen auszutauschen und sich auch mit anderen Forschungsfeldern zu vernetzen (z.B. Game Studies, Interface Studies, Comic Studies etc.). 
2. Zugleich ruft der Tagungstitel die produktionsspezifische Unterteilung von Keyframing und Inbetweening auf und adressiert damit animationspraktische und -technische ebenso wie politische Aspekte im Hinblick auf Hierarchien und Abhängigkeiten von Animationsproduktion. 
3. Zuletzt verweist das bewusst zwischen zwei englische Begriffe gesetzte Wörtchen ‘und’ auf den Stand der deutschsprachigen Forschung innerhalb der internationalen Fachcommunity (die immer noch sehr stark durch Forschung aus den USA und UK geprägt ist). Hier soll eine Fokussierung auf das, was die aktuelle Animationsforschung im deutschsprachigen Raum auszeichnet, als Grundlage dienen, um über ihren Stand innerhalb der Animation Studies in Europa und darüber hinaus nachzudenken.

Die Tagung möchte also den Rahmen/Frame geben, um den Austausch/das Inbetween zwischen Animationsforschenden aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum zu ermöglichen. 

Der Themenzuschnitt der Tagung ist auf eine möglichst hohe Offenheit angelegt, weshalb jegliche animationsbezogenen Beitrags-Einreichungen willkommen sind. Gesucht werden unter anderem Beiträge, die sich im weitesten Sinne um folgende Themen drehen 

• Welche theoretischen Framings werden aktuell in der deutschsprachigen Animationsforschung in den Blick genommen oder referenziert? 
• Welche Forschung zu Animation findet in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz statt bzw. welche Forschung gibt es zu Animationen aus diesen Ländern? Wo sind hier Desiderate zu identifizieren? 
• Was sind dringliche Fragen im Hinblick auf Animationsforschung im deutschsprachigen Raum? Welche Framings sind hier neben der Wissenschaft relevant (Archive, Festivals etc.)? 

Abstracts (ca. 200 Wörter) für Vorträge von 20 Minuten mit Kurzbiografien (ca. 100 Wörter) können bis zum 15. Juni 2026 (auf Deutsch oder Englisch) per Mail an ed.nrobredap-inu.liam@6202agac eingereicht werden.

Tagungs-Organisation: 
Jun. Prof. Dr. Julia Eckel (Universität Paderborn, ed.bpu@lekce.ailuj)
PD Dr. Erwin Feyersinger (Universität Tübingen, ed.negnibeut-inu@regnisreyef.niwre)

Tagungswebsite: ag-animation.de/tagung-2026
Tagungs-Kontakt: ed.nrobredap-inu.liam@6202agac  

Tagungsdatum: Mi, 18.–Fr, 20. November 2026 
Tagungsort: Universität Paderborn, Institut für Medienwissenschaften 

Gefördert durch: 

Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaft	Society for Animation Studies	Universität Paderborn | Kommission für Forschung und wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs	Institut für Medienwissenschaften

Wir freuen uns die Veröffentlichung der Ergebnisse der letzten Jahrestagung der AG Animation bekannt zu geben.

Im September 2024 trafen sich internationale Forschende, Doktorand:innen, Lehrende, Künstler:innen und Vertreter:innen aus unterschiedlichen Branchen um sich zum Thema „(R)Evolution of Animation: Current Challenges and Future Directions“ auszutauschen. Das Konferenzthema wurde gewählt, um den dynamischen Zustand der Animation Studies und des Animationsfilms widerzuspiegeln, ein Fach und eine Kunstform, die nicht nur schrittweise Veränderungen, sondern einen grundlegenden Wandel durchlaufen.

Aus dieser Tagung, die im Rahmen des Viborg Animation Festivals im wunderschönen Dänemark stattfand, sind eine Reihe von spannenden, vielseitigen und aufschlussreichen Aufsätzen entstanden, die in Kooperation mit der Aalborg Universität und deren Open Access-Programm AAU Open publiziert wurden: https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/caga

Wir bedanken uns sehr herzlich bei allen Mitgliedern des CAGA-Organisationsteams, Bue Holmsgaard Fyhn, Juergen Hagler, Lana Tankosa Nikolic, Andrea Polywka, Jakob Borrits Skov Sabra, Peter Vistisen, sowie unseren Kooperationspartner:innen Aalborg Universitet, AAU Open, VAF – Viborg Animation Festival, und The Animation Workshop – VIA University College.

Hier geht es zur Tagungs-Website: https://caga24.via.dk/

Call for Contributions for the AnimationStudies 2.0 Theme: ANIMATION & AGENCY

The ability and power to act is commonly referred to as agency. As a concept it is widely debated in various academic and transdisciplinary discourses, from Gender and Queer Studies to Science and Technology Studies, as well as Actor Network Theory, New Materialism and Posthumanism. The autonomy of the neoliberal subject and the acting power of material or cultural entities, which fundamentally challenges boundaries between subject and object, human and non-human etc., is the central aspect in these discussions and theoretical framings.

Surprisingly, agency has only been partially addressed in Animation Studies, although animated works appear to be an especially prolific audio-visual format to address notions of agency at different levels. Techniques and processes of animation usually exhibit a craftedness that inherently questions the relationship between human and non-human agency through its creative processes. The question of agency as the ability and power to act furthermore involves political and critical dimensions, which are prominently addressed in the context of information, education or protest, that strive for empowerment and self-determination by and through animation.  

Given that the animated image can be strongly interrelated with these theoretical, aesthetical, and political questions of agency, it seems fruitful to systematically think about animation and agency together. This guest-edited theme on Animation and Agency was created by members of the research network Animation and Contemporary Media Culture. Challenges and Potentials of Animation Studies in the Digital Era. Scholars and practitioners are invited to look at the concept of agency from theoretical, aesthetical, historical, practice oriented or practice-based perspectives. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Animation and agency in the field of education, social engagement, and empowerment.
• Animation and activism, animated political protest and/or propaganda, animation that enables, shows, and/or negotiates political agency.
• Animation and body politics, animation and queer subjectivities, power(lessness) of the subject and (intersectional) dimensions of race, class, gender, and disability in animation.
• Animation and sustainability, ecological storytelling and environmental agency, imagining sustainable futures and critiquing anthropocentric worldviews in the context climate crisis.
• Narrative representations of agency in animated works, stories about agency of characters or environments.
• Animation and algorithmic agency, animation and AI, creative agency at the threshold of subjectivity and technology.
• Animation and material agency, objects and devices as active factors in creative practices, questions of authorship and agency.

We welcome posts that are:

1. Between 600 and 900 words discussing any aspect of the above topics. 
2. Forwarded as a Microsoft WORD file. 
3. Include at least one image to visually support their argument/post. 
   3a. The images must be less than 2 MB in size per image and sent as individual files. 
   3b. Please indicate where the images should be placed in the text, including image caption(s) and credits. All permissions are the responsibility of the contributor.
4. Include a short bio of 100 words max.
5. Include 3 keywords.

Please note that we are introducing a new submission form! Please fill it in with all the required information for your submission here: Submission form.

Please contact Julia Eckel via julia.eckel@uni-paderborn.de with submissions or questions, and CC co-editors Carmen Hannibal and Anastasiia Gushchina on blog@animationstudies.org.

We warmly invite you to Expanded 2025. The 13th edition will take place in early September as part of the media art festival Ars Electronica 2025. 

Expanded – Conference on Animation and Interactive Art 
September 3–5, 2025 
Ars Electronica Center, Skyloft 
Ars-Electronica-Straße 1, 4040 Linz
Free entry, no registration required.

Expanded Play Exhibition – Atelierhaus Salzamt 
September 3–7, 2025 
Atelierhaus Salzamt 
Obere Donaulände 15, 4020 Linz
Opening: September 2, 20:15, as part of the Pre-Opening Walk 
Free entry, no registration required.

Expanded 2025 Trailer 
Trailer visuals by Lea Obermair. 
Trailer sound by Ki Schattauer. 

For more information, see: 

• Expanded Conference 2025 – Expanded 
• Ars Electronica Blog

Vom 18. bis 19. September findet an der Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf der finale Workshop des DFG-Forschungsnetzwerks Animation and Contemporary Media Culture. Challenges and Potentials of Animation Studies in the Digital Era statt. Der internationale Workshop trägt den Titel Animation, Green Storytelling, And Sustainable Production. Anmeldungen sind bis zum 13.09.2024 möglich.

Weitere Informationen finden sich hier.

The twelfth edition of the Expanded Animation Symposium, organized by the Hagenberg Campus of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria and Ars Electronica, will take place from September 5th to 7th as part of the Ars Electronica Festival 2024.

More info can be found on the event website: https://expandedanimation.com/

And you can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAgTMlNHldU

With the aim of creating synergy between theoretical and practical discourse among filmmakers and scholars, Animafest Scanner XI 2024 international symposium takes place 4-5 June 2024, and international film and media researchers are invited to present the latest findings in the field of animation studies.

This year´s keynote speaker is the recipient of 2024 Animafest Zagreb Award for Outstanding Contributions to Animation Studies, internationally acclaimed German expert in film and video art, Ingo Petzke.

Submission Categories

Important Dates

Submission

Template

Proceedings

Venue

The conference takes place in cooperaton with the Animation Workshop at the VIA University College in Viborg (Denmark) in week 37 (September 9–11) of 2024, corresponding with the well-known Viborg Animation Festival.

The conference aims to delve into the rapid evolution and the ecological, political, ethical and technological challenges of animation, investigating the factors that have propelled its growth and examining the obstacles it currently faces. This call for research seeks to foster critical discussions surrounding the (r)evolution of animation and its future directions in response to the changes and trials faced by the industry. We invite scholars, artists, curators and more to submit papers that shed light on historical and current challenges in animation studies, art and industry as well as on the future directions of this ever-evolving field.

The conference program will be structured in three parts:

The Influence of Technology on Animation:

The craft of animation has been defined by the evolution and progress of technology that has been available to the artists; tools which were adapted to specific demands and language that created a unique way of expressing a story. It enabled new ways of interdisciplinary cooperation in different areas of work and disciplines but also countless adaptations and extensions of intellectual property (IP) across different media forms and platforms. They have paved the way for more aesthetically captivating visuals, expansive worldbuilding, as well as intricate storytelling in animation.

Political and Ecological Challenges Arising from Animation’s Growth:

As animation production and viewership increase, new challenges have emerged. On one hand, there is an urgent need for greater diversity and inclusive representation in media. On the other hand, the integration of new technologies, techniques, and an expanding array of distribution platforms must be balanced with ecological working standards. This includes addressing issues like international remote workplaces and considering the ecological impact of animation production.

Ethical Questions Raised by Emerging Technologies:

Production efficiency has become a paramount concern, leading to the emergence of technologies like AI-assisted animation and text-prompted art. However, the integration of these technologies raises ethical questions regarding the nature of artistic expression and the responsibilities of creators. “The (R)Evolution of Animation: Current Challenges and Future Directions” invites researchers to explore these ethical implications and contribute to the ongoing discourse on the use of AI in animation production.

Further research topics and paper submissions

Topics of interest include navigating the impact of the pandemic on production and distribution, addressing the need for greater diversity and inclusivity in animation, and developing ethical and ecological frameworks for working standards and the use of AI in animation production.

In addition, we encourage researchers to examine how animation has historically revolutionized expression, storytelling, and communication. This includes exploring its impact on education, ethical debates, and its role in addressing complex social and political issues. Furthermore, papers that explore archival practices and chronicle the revolutions shaping the animation industry and craft, both in relation to current challenges and in parallel, as well as submissions from scholars in various disciplines, including animation studies, media studies, cultural studies, art history, and more are highly welcomed.

Further research topics may include, but are not limited to:

• The historical and current impact of animation on traditional media and storytelling.
• Ethics of AI in animation production, including text-prompted art and animation analysis.
• Emerging and historical trends in animation technology and techniques.
• Current state and prior developments in green and sustainable animation production.
• Animation as a medium and its influence on public perception of ethical, political, and societal issues.

Submission guidelines

You will find more information about the Call for Papers and the conference here: https://caga24.via.dk/.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Bonnie Mitchell – „Time, Timing and Timelessness: Expanding the Boundaries of Animation“

Bonnie Mitchell is an experimental animator, curator, and professor in Digital Arts at Bowling Green State University in the United States. Her animation and installations explore spatial and experiential relationships to our physical, and her large-scale installations invite the viewer to physically enter an environment where the projected animations and sculptural elements immerse the viewer in a conceptual journey through time. Her experimental visual music animations and installations have been exhibited at numerous festivals, conferences, and exhibitions around the world including the SIGGRAPH and ISEA art exhibitions, Under the Radar, Punta y Raya and many more animation screenings.

Boris Eldagsen – „/animate – The Rise of AI-Generated Moving Images?“

Boris Eldagsen (*1970) is a Berlin-based photomedia artist, who studied fine arts at the art academies of Mainz, Prague and Hyderabad (India) – and philosophy at the universities of Cologne and Mainz. Boris is „Head of Digital“ at the German Photographic Academy (DFA) and one of the leading AI experts in the international photography scene. In April 2023 he refused the Sony World Photography Awards, admitting that he applied with an AI-generated image to initiate a debate about the relationship between AI-generated images and photography. His stunt became worldwide news and his image THE ELECTRICIAN one of the most famous of the year.

Henrik Schønau Fog

Henrik Schønau-Fog is an Associate Professor, PhD and Deputy Head of Department of Media Technology at Aalborg University, Copenhagen Campus. Henrik is the founder of the ViZARTS project and together with Medialogy students and Amunet Studio, he has created one of the world’s first rear-projection based Virtual Production Training Facilities at AAU’s basement in Copenhagen’s Sydhavn district – with the support from Nordisk Film Fonden. Here filmmakers and techies collaborate to utilize the real-time capabilities of game engines to learn how to create virtual production for animation, film, TV and games.is also the co-founder and director of the Samsung Media Innovation Lab for Education (SMILE) where he is working with innovative media-technologies, gamification, transformational games and games for learning. His work is based on real-time 3D game engines, and he is an expert in virtual production, final pixels in camera productions, in-camera VFX, motion capture animation and adaptive real-time story worlds.After working at DR-TV as a producer in the late 1990’ies, Henrik moved to Switzerland and worked at The Fantastic Cooperation to create a satellite-based internet platform with MTV and Eurosport on board. He then founded Scandinavias first Motion Capture company – MoCap Copenhagen – with clients such as IO interactive and Tivoli, before he pivoted into an academic career. He is furthermore an expert in motivational factors and assessment of engagement in games, learning and interactive media – and loves kitesurfing and snowboarding.

Conference Team

Andrea Polywka, Philipps-Universität Marburg

Juergen Hagler, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Ars Electronica Linz

Peter Vistisen, Aalborg University

Lana Tankosa Nikolic, The Animation Workshop/VIA University College

Jakob Borrits Skov Sabra, The Animation Workshop/VIA University College

Bue Holmsgaard Fyhn, The Animation Workshop/VIA University College

Partners

The Animation Workshop/VIA University College

Aalborg University 

Viborg Animation Festival