4th ICDS Symposium Special Panel: The Intersection of Ecology, Art, and Communication

Counter models of optimization suggest fluid, non-stable, and embedded knowledge for an alternative epistemological dimension between art, communication, and political agency. Within this regard, it is created through nature, platforms, and human interaction as a dialectical process. Alternatively, ecological pieces of art are not only a medium for the practices but also transform into the essence of human-nature interaction by creating counter-spheres for the future of optimization. This panel deepens this relation across art, communication, and philosophy to explore the concept of optimization as not a source but a performative aspect of human life, nature, and art.

The 4th International Symposium on Communication, Digitization, and Society (ICDS) will feature an exclusive panel titled “Counter Models of Optimization and Communication: Ecological Pieces and Art,” where ecology meets art in a conversation on alternative systems of thinking, making, and communicating. Hosted by Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Communication, the panel will be held in a hybrid format on April 29, 2026 at 03:00 PM.

Speakers:

• Asst. Prof. Barry Stocker (Bogazici University, Turkey)
• Asst. Prof. / Artist Jean Schmitt (University of Arkansas, USA)
• Asst. Prof. / Artist Jessamyn Plotts (Texas State University, USA)

Moderator:

• Asst. Prof. Tuğba GÜLAL (Istanbul Aydin University, Turkey)