The International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia (VSMM) is a premier world forum for the presentation of research on 3D acquisition, multimedia visualization, interaction technologies and their applications. Known for its multidisciplinary approach, VSMM has become a bridge between technology, art, history, science and engineering. Held since 1995, VSMM 2014 will be the 20th gathering of the VSMM Society and will be hosted for the first time in Hong Kong.

VSMM 2014, will be held at the Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre (CMC), City University of Hong Kong from 9th to 12th December 2014.

The Conference will be co-hosted by the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong in partnership with the Centre for Creative Content and Digital Innovation, (CCCDI), University of Malaya.

The theme for the 2014 conference is ‘Image & Archive’. Archives serve as basic tools for social accountability, the preservation and dissemination of historical memory, and the development of a richer understanding of cultural, social and political forces in an increasingly digital and networked world. Image & Archive focuses on technical aspects of the digital image and, on the numerous ways in which digital archives have become sources for innovation and dissemination.

Over the last decade technical advances including diverse areas in imaging technologies have allowed us to capture the world at increasingly high resolutions and contributed to vast reservoirs of data. New developments in social media and crowdsourcing have resulted in online archives of great diversity and application. Cultural collections are increasing becoming sources for new methods in knowledge-based visualization and, advances in web protocols make this data increasingly discoverable.

There are rapidly emerging demands for theses digital resources to be analyzed and ‘designed’ while simultaneously they become sources material for creative and artistic applications. Image & Archive addresses numerous topics including:Archival Science – Artificial Intelligence – Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality – Critical Theory – Cultural Heritage – HCI – Imaging Science (including Robotics) – Information Science – New Museology – Philosophy – Photography – Remote Sensing – Semantic Web – Social Media – Teaching and Learning – Visual Analytics – Visualization.

The aim of this conference is to discuss the concept that fresh research and public engagement initiatives should be integral to ultra-high resolution scanning projects, and to examine the notion that the archive must be further reconfigured for the purposes of successful digital consumption. In choosing this theme, VSMM 2014 can best exhibit ground breaking work in relation to wide research and criticism in these fields.

More information: Conference website .