Theoretical Approaches and Current Debates in the Social Sciences Symposium and Group Exhibition Concluded

The “Theoretical Approaches and Current Debates in the Social Sciences Symposium and Group Exhibition,”organized by STA Congress | Art and Design Research in collaboration with Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), was held online on June 15–16, 2026. Bringing together researchers from various disciplines, the event provided an academic platform for discussing contemporary social and cultural transformations from theoretical and methodological perspectives across the fields of social sciences, art, design, communication, and digital culture. 

The symposium featured six academic studies addressing a diverse range of contemporary topics. The presentations explored the perception of Surrealism in contemporary Turkish painting, academic literature on Ibn Miskawayh in Türkiye, the role of fundamental design principles in generative AI-assisted visual production, advertising discourse on digital design platforms, cultural heritage and international cooperation, and community participation in independent digital game development processes. Through this broad thematic framework, the symposium created an interdisciplinary environment that connected different areas of social sciences with art, design, and digital technologies. 

The program also addressed the transformations brought about by artificial intelligence and digitalization in the field of design from different perspectives. One of the studies focused on designer identity, visual literacy, and the significance of fundamental design principles in AI-assisted visual production. Another examined how digital design platforms reshape the concepts of design and creativity through advertising discourse. A study focusing on independent digital game development explored transparent communication and community participation between development teams and player communities through the case of Paralives. 

Through the group exhibition component of the event, academic knowledge production was brought together with artistic and design practices on the same platform. The published proceedings booklet also documents the online event through images from the presentations and academic sessions, contributing to the preservation of the symposium as a digital record. 

Following the symposium, the “Theoretical Approaches and Current Debates in the Social Sciences Symposium and Group Exhibition – Abstract Proceedings Booklet” was published to preserve the presented studies as a lasting academic resource. Edited by Lect. Dr. İrem Fulya Özkan, the booklet was published digitally on June 16, 2026, with the ISBN 978-625-90026-4-4. It includes the Turkish and English titles, abstracts, keywords, and academic information of the papers presented during the symposium. 

The studies presented within the scope of the event addressed contemporary issues such as globalization, digitalization, identity, cultural representation, art, design, and communication through diverse research perspectives, creating an interdisciplinary space for dialogue between theoretical knowledge and contemporary social and technological transformations. The symposium and its accompanying publications contributed to increasing the visibility of research from different disciplines while supporting academic knowledge exchange and the development of research in art and design.