Aims and Scope

View: Theories and Practices of Visual Culture is a peer review interdisciplinary academic journal devoted to the theories and practices of visual culture. The Journal is a space for thought, one where we examine how seeing is understood both in contemporary theory and research within the humanities, as well as how it is put into use in different types of practices – both vernacular and artistic, in different media, cultural and social contexts. Finally, in our work on images, we remember that their sense is often completed by words. We remain conscious that words and images constantly reflect each other, that literature and the written word serve not only as a space of theorizing seeing, but are also its expression and record. Lastly, we do not forget that the category of the gaze is also central in literature.

View continues to address the intersection of critical theory, cultural studies, literature studies, philosophy, art history, performance studies, social sciences as well as artistic and curatorial practice. Our interests intersect in the field of visual culture. For us, this term designates an anthropological perspective, one that doesn’t privilege sight, but rather points to the visual as meaningful and inspiring. We believe that there is no single point from which one can view the cultural panorama in its entirety. A “view” is always the result of looking from a certain angle.

View is published three times a year. We accept submissions in Polish and English. The main academic section Close-up and the section Viewpoint are published in both languages.

The Journal is included in the ERIH+ index and its content is also available in the CEEOL and EBSCO repository. In 2018-2020, it came under the aegis of the “Support for Scientific Journals” program run by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The Name of the Journal

The word “view” seems neutral enough. A view is simply what appears before our eyes wherever we turn our heads. Often, in order to access a view, we only need to focus our attention, or merely adjust our eyes. The Polish dictionary defines a “view” as a “seen space” and a “landscape,” as well as “an image” or the “appearance of something” as in “seeing someone or something.” The definition includes phrases that contain the word, such as “with a view to” and “in view,” as well as expressions that point to intentional actions connected with the practices of seeing (e.g. “viewing point”). This normative definition reveals an entanglement characteristic of visual practices. The illusion of automatic seeing is accompanied by the concept of seeing as a conscious activity. A “view” is simultaneously a space commanded by the viewing subject and an “image” understood as a framed space loaded with “iconic differences,” a surplus of meaning. The “view” is seen as an unidentifiable distance that coexists with “a view,” of which we can ourselves become a part. And then there is a “view” established by sight, which is a space of concentration, but one which can quickly become a space of wandering and blurriness.

By establishing a journal titled “View,” we’re interested in unraveling this entanglement, investigating the discipline of viewing’s single threads and motives, but always keeping in mind its complexity.

Peer Review Policy 

All research articles published in the CLOSE-UP and PANORAMA sections of the journal have undergone peer review. Once your paper has been assessed for suitability by the editor, it will then be double-blind peer-reviewed by independent expert referees.

Find out more about what to expect during peer review and read our guidance on publishing ethics.

Upon request and with the permission of the authors, we publish the texts under a Creative Commons 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

Read the Instructions for Authors for information on how to submit your article.

Section Policies

Close-up

This is the main section of each issue and contains peer-reviewed academic articles (in two language versions) devoted to the theme of a given issue. Upcoming themes are announced in the CFP tab.

Panorama

This section contains peer-reviewed academic articles not necessarily related to the leading theme of the issue. Please feel free to submit articles relevant to the journal’s main subject regardless of the dates of publication of the next thematic issues.

Perspectives

This section embraces discussions held by the editorial team and with invited guests, interviews, conversations, curatorial texts and commentaries on the leading theme of the issue.

Viewpoint

This section features artistic projects and other presentations of visual materials of interest in the context of the leading theme of the issue. We treat them as research statements, but presented in a form other than that of an article.

Snapshots

This section presents reviews of publications, exhibitions, theater plays, films, etc.