Data surrounds all life on Earth. From the smallest signal to vast planetary systems, we gather, process, and
visualize traces of the world around us. Yet not all signals are heard equally. Some data becomes visible,
operative, and powerful, while other stories remain quiet, obscured, fragmented, or deliberately ignored.
In this context, visualization is not only a method of representation. It is also an instrument of
amplification. It can make the quiet legible, the overlooked visible, and the unheard more present. It can
reveal hidden structures, suppressed histories, fragile ecologies, minor gestures, and forms of community
knowledge that conventional systems fail to recognize.
As data becomes increasingly entangled with social, cultural, political, and environmental life, urgent
questions emerge about what is amplified, who is given visibility, and whose experiences remain outside the
frame. New technologies have granted us unprecedented access to data streams, but they have also intensified
systems of extraction, surveillance, bias, and exclusion. Against this backdrop, we recognize a pressing need
for critical, poetic, and equitable approaches to visualization that can turn up the signal on marginalized
voices, overlooked communities, and hidden relations.
About VISAP
The IEEE VIS Arts Program (VISAP) is a dedicated venue for
visualization researchers, designers, and artists exploring innovative
approaches at the intersection of visualization and the arts.
VISAP brings together practitioners who push the boundaries of what
data visualization can be — from scientific rigor to artistic
expression, from community storytelling to critical speculation.
Held annually as part of IEEE VIS, the premier forum for visualization
and visual analytics, VISAP provides a unique platform where technical
and artistic communities meet.
Contributions responding to this year’s theme, Amplification, may be submitted to either the papers/pictorials
track or the exhibition track. VISAP 2026 will be held fully in person, offering participants the opportunity to
engage face-to-face.
We encourage artists to collaborate with artificial intelligence as a creative partner in the production of
data-driven work. However, the VISAP committee will critically assess the role of AI in each submission,
considering its relevance, ethical use, and creative intention. If your work involves AI-generated components,
please clearly acknowledge them in your submission.
Submissions
Call opens
May 2026
Submission deadline
June 30, 2026
Notifications
July 2026
Camera ready
August 2026
All deadlines at 11:59pm AoE.
We welcome contributions across three tracks, all engaging with the theme of Amplification. All submissions
are
made via the IEEE VGTC Electronic Conference
System (PCS). VISAP uses a single-blind review process.
PAPERS
We invite researchers, scholars, and creative practitioners to submit papers related to the theme Amplification.
Submissions can include, but are not limited to technical descriptions of creative visualization projects and
techniques, reflections on the impact of data visualization techniques on art and design practice, philosophical
meditations on art-science methodology, expanded descriptions and discussions of specific (media) art projects
(including design case studies), and critical interpretations of visualization approaches and practices. We are
open to any submission that relates in some way to art or design and to this year's theme.
Paper format
Authors are required to use the IEEE Conference
format for paper submissions. Word and LaTeX templates are available. It is
mandatory to use this format. However, including keywords and index terms is optional.
Acceptance
Accepted authors will present their work in-person in one of the two VISAP Papers sessions during the
conference. All accepted papers will be published online in the IEEE VIS 2026 Arts Program proceedings, and
indexed in the IEEE Xplore digital library.
Previous VISAP Papers
Please see the online proceedings from previous years (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013) for examples of accepted submissions. (Selected VISAP
papers have also been featured in IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications and Leonardo).
PICTORIALS
We invite artists and designers to submit pictorials and annotated portfolios related to the theme
Amplification. Artists, designers, and researchers all make creative choices based on practical knowledge,
generally
acquired through experience. Unfortunately, this knowledge is seldom shared in publications. VISAP Pictorials
aim to foster discussions about this reflection-in-action when creating visualizations or data-driven art
pieces. Pictorial submissions reflect either on shared concepts among a selection of visualizations, or on the
design
process of a single work. Whether in the case of a single artifact, or, in the case of a series of artifacts,
the designer is in a unique position to provide valuable insights into the design intentions, the design space
explorations, and the design process (Löwgren 2013). Through pictorials and annotated portfolios, we invite
submissions that communicate the visualization practices in rich, heavily visual ways.
What to consider
Elements that reviewers will look for include:
- The quality of the description of the design process and reflections on this process
- The appropriateness and richness of the visual style
- The quality of presentation
- The production value of images, photos and diagrams
What is a pictorial / annotated portfolio?
A pictorial is a visual description and reflection of the design process of a single visualization project. It
is intended to capture the situated and rich nature of design. An annotated portfolio is a collection of design
works with brief textual annotations. It has been proposed by
Gaver and Bowers (2012) as a "way to communicate design research". The systematic selection and annotation of
the artifacts are part of the contribution. Submitters are encouraged to highlight important features, discuss
how ideas were developed, and reflect on recurring topics through their series of works.
Pictorial format
Artists and designers are required to use the VISAP'26 Pictorials format for pictorial and annotated portfolio
submissions. InDesign and Word templates are available. It is
mandatory to use this format.
Pictorials and annotated portfolios must not exceed 16 pages. We encourage submitters to use the space in the
most creative and visual way.
Submitting supplementary material and/or links to external material is encouraged to help reviewers evaluate the
submission.
Pictorials and Annotated Portfolio from previous years
Please see works 1, 2, 3, from the 2025 program;
1, 2, 3, from the
2024 program; works 1, 2, 3, from the
2023 program; works 1, 2, 3, from the
2022 program; works 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, from the
2021 program; works
1, 2, from the 2020 program; works 1, 2, from
the 2019 program; and
works 1,
2, 3, 4,
5,
from the 2018 program.
Pictorials acceptance
All accepted Pictorials will be published online in the IEEE VIS 2026 Arts Program proceedings, and indexed in
the IEEE Xplore digital library. Pictorials will be part of the VISAP 2026 exhibition as printed booklets and
showcased in the VISAP 2026 catalog. Selected submissions will be invited to present their work in-person in one
of the VISAP Papers sessions during the conference.
ARTWORKS
We invite artists and designers to submit data-driven artworks related to the theme Amplification. We welcome
submissions in any medium, e.g., interactive projections, multimedia sculptures, mobile devices, illustrations,
physicalizations, video game art, digital prints, screen-based art, fixed audio-visual pieces, etc.
What to include
While the proposal is free-form, the following information must be included (consider structuring your proposal
based on these headings):
- General Information: Title of the work, Year, Authors (and roles), Medium and Dimensions of the work
- Description: Description of the work and any interactive elements. Explain how your work relates to this
year's theme and how it links to information visualization, scientific visualization, and/or visual analytics.
Discuss the reception of your work at previous exhibitions (if it has been exhibited before)
- Technical Requirements: Given that VISAP' 26 is an in-person event, describe how the work will be presented
at the gallery space. Provide technical details of the project. For example, what technical equipment is
required? Does the project require the audience to interact with it live? Are there any time of day
requirements or specific lighting conditions needed? Does it require any specific space or technical setup
(e.g. VR gadgets or audiovisual equipment)? Consider how your artwork could be integrated in both a physical
and virtual art exhibition.
- Supporting Material: Provide links to high-resolution images, audio, webpages and/or videos that will help
give the reviewers a clear sense of your work
Artworks could involve any of the following forms:
- Visualization that emphasizes visual and performative aesthetics
- Visualization that encourages creative and/or collaborative interactions
- Speculative visualizations
- Visualization as tactical media
- New data paradigms
- Live coding and streaming data
- Complex systems
- Exploratory data semantics
- 3D visualization, VR/AR/XR environments, and immersive analytics
- Computational photography
- Ambient information displays
- Visualization as storytelling
- Design studies
- Data sonification
- Conversation theory
- Digital humanities visualization
- Physical visualization and sculptural design
Submission Format (Exhibition)
Artists and designers are required to submit a 2 page .pdf file describing the work they wish to exhibit. No
specific format is imposed.
Submitting additional images, videos, or audio files as supplementary material is strongly encouraged to help
reviewers evaluate the submission.
Previous accepted work
Please see the 2025
catalog
(designed
by Beatrice Gobbo), the 2024 catalog, the 2023 catalogue (designed by
Tommaso Elli
and Francesca
Morini), the 2022 and 2021 catalogues (designed by Bon
Adriel
Aseniero), the 2020
catalog (designed
by Christy Cheung), the 2019 catalog (designed
by Damla Çay), 2018 catalog
(designed by Density
Design), the 2017
catalog (designed by Yoon Chung Han), the 2016 catalog
(designed by Jeremy Boy), the 2015
catalog (designed by Jack Henrie Fisher), the 2014 catalog, or the 2013
catalog (both designed by Lauren
Thorson) to get a sense of the range of artworks that have been accepted previously. Please feel welcome to
contact the chairs if you have questions about whether or not your work is an appropriate submission to VISAP.
Acceptance
All accepted artworks will be included in the online proceedings of VISAP on the visap.net website, as well as in a VISAP 2026 catalog that will
be shared on the
VISAP website. All accepted artworks will be presented in the gallery space of the Met Warehouse,
from November 9 to November 13, 2026.
Submission Procedure (for all tracks)
All submissions must be made using the IEEE VGTC
Electronic Conference System (on PCS). After creating an account or signing in, submitters will find the
VISAP 2026 Papers and Exhibition submissions by:
- Clicking on the "Submissions" tab;
- Selecting VTGC (in "Society");
- Selecting VIS 2026 (for "Conference/Journal");
- Selecting VIS 2026 Arts Program (for "Track")
- Clicking on "Go"
VISAP uses a single-blind review process: submitted material is not required to be anonymized.
At least one author per accepted paper and pictorial is required to register to the IEEE VIS conference to
present the work in-person. Submitters of accepted exhibits are also strongly encouraged to attend the
conference to set up their work for the opening reception, and to participate in the program throughout the week
in-person.
We invite students to apply to the IEEE VIS student volunteer program to help cover registration fees. We also
invite authors and artists who demonstrate financial need to apply for the IEEE VIS Inclusivity & Diversity
Scholarship.