Bøger udgivet af University of Krems Press

Media, Arts, and Design (MAD) | Anthology II: MAD Pandemic: Stories of Change and Continuity during the COVID-19 Crisis" brings together a selection of peer-reviewed contributions that explore the profound shifts within discourses surrounding the media, arts, and design sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a world where the term 'new normal' has become a catchphrase within contemporary discussions, these papers critically evaluate and scrutinize the interplay between rapid technological evolution and the steadfast (and dynamic) nature of human creativity. Papers in this volume thoughtfully navigate through virtual spaces, online spheres, digital landscapes, and altered realities, echoing the zeitgeist of a world in transition. This anthology aims to operate as a remarkably informative storehouse of knowledge and serve as a beacon of understanding by offering readers insightful narratives and enlightening accounts that traverse the complexities of a landscape irrevocably altered by the ramifications of the COVID-19 crisis.

Freedom and Oppression are not simple opposites, they form a dialectical relationship in which, as concepts, one cannot exist without the other. Sometimes, they can even enable, emphasize and strengthen each other: just as freedom begins to shine once it contrasts against oppressive forces, oppression becomes the most effective when it gives a certain amount of leeway to the oppressed.This intricate connection between Freedom and Oppression often shapes political systems, social environments, and personal relationships; but it is also at the heart of matters of Games & Play, which rely heavily on the interplay between artificial constraints and the desire to gain a liberating sense of agency within them.Can a better understanding of Games & Play heighten our understanding of oppressive forces and liberation efforts in real life? Is the act of playing (and creating) games a reflection or even reinforcement of oppressions and freedoms that exist outside the game world? Can Games & Play themselves become liberating forces, or even tools of oppression? And what promises of freedom, what mechanisms of oppression exist in the world of games and gaming?The 16th Vienna Games Conference ¿FROG - Future and Reality of Gaming¿ 2022 has aimed to address these and other related questions. This volume presents 24 contributions to the conference, which strive to enlighten the complex relations between Freedom and Oppression, Games and Play.