Psiax #9 Open Call

Gesture in Drawing and Image

The gesture is a trace in motion, an inscription of a body in drawing and image. Beyond its aesthetic character, gesture can carry thought, intention, and action, becoming a field of reflection on artistic practice and its symbolic, cultural, and technological implications.

In this issue, we seek contributions that question gesture as an expression of visual thought, its ability to represent external and internal relationships, and its role in the construction of narratives and imaginaries. How does gesture manifest in the relationship between body and medium? How does gesture transcend the material dimension to become a sign or a symbol?

In the contemporary context, where technologies expand and redefine artistic practices, gesture takes on new meanings. How do digital interactions, artificial intelligence, and new media transform our relationship with drawing and image? What remains of gesture in this scenario?

We also want to explore gesture as a means of experimentation, recording, and thinking, broadening the understanding of drawing and image as living forms of expression and recognition of the world.

How can gestures in drawings and images reveal an aesthetic trace and a thought in action?
How can gestures in the drawing represent the external relationships of reality?
How can we understand gestures in drawing beyond their inscriptions in the body/medium relationship?
Is gesture a symbolic manifestation?
How does the relationship between gesture, image, and thought transform in the contemporary context, marked by technological advances and new cultural paradigms?
How can drawing be a field of reflection on our perceptions of the world and the construction of visual narratives?

In this edition, we are interested in showcasing drawings, artistic projects, images, articles, essays, and contextual or critical texts that explore, problematise, and address representations of gesture and gesturality.

Submission deadline: June 15, 2025
Results: By October 30, 2025
Journal release (expected): 2025
Submissions: https://ojs.up.pt/index.php/psiax