The theme for VISAP'21 is "dis/connected." We invite submissions that reflect the many different ways in which the dis/connection is formed, discovered, created, enacted, and changed by visualizing data in all broader meanings and scopes.

Feeling a connection is a core human need. As social beings, we naturally gravitate towards and seek out genuine connections with others in our natural environment and social communities. When neglecting such needs, we often put the health of ourselves, our communities, and the world at risk. Technology has helped people overcome obstacles of distance, language, and social status to stay connected, and yet our society is divided as a result of cultural barriers, religious beliefs, or simply different political positions. During the Covid-19 pandemic, our abilities to maintain connections with others are further tested. While we are connected through technology, issues such as health equality and social justice have revealed the disconnections and divisions among us. Understanding such disconnections in our polarized world and building relations that lead to mutual understanding and respect have become a pressing mission of our communities.

Within this year's theme "dis/connected" we invite visualization works that question what the meaning of the dis/connections is in a broader spectrum. VISAP'21 proposes a space to reveal causes of disconnection, investigate ways of building and maintaining connections with others in our changing societies, cultures, and environments. We especially seek data-driven art and design that provokes alternative viewpoints to facilitate the discussion about connection and disconnection.