Issue 32, Fall 2018
This issue of Intermedialities proposes to examine the dynamic relationship between forms of concealment and forms of detection. Its premise is that the domain of the hidden, and the ways of (self)concealment, are constructed in synergy with the ways of perceiving, interpreting, judging and tracking down that are specific to a given context and time. As a strategy, concealing responds to a range of needs: to protect that which is sensitive, to retain a strategic advantage, to deceive, to avoid social disapproval or sanctions. Thus, the art of disguise evolves with the advancement of technology, but also according to the development of social norms and relations of power. The contributions in this special issue address the logics of concealment from the point of view of digital media, cultural studies, cinema, photography, and literature. Some adopt a historical perspective in order to shed light on the development of these forms, while others focus on elucidating the logics, tensions, and paradoxes of the contemporary world.