The 2026 Thematic Issue of the Tamil Academic Journal, Art, Media, and the Politics of Visual Practices, is now accepting abstract submissions. This issue hopes to explore how art and social media have shaped Tamil identities by aiding narratives of collective community, participating in social political movements, and inventing/appropriating art forms.
While deeply embedded in its political context, art and media are valued for their ability to break free and question repressive moments and institutions. In the process, art and media have been at the centre of shaping identities and communities through their representational and performative roles.
This issue is aware that historical analysis and thick contemporary readings of perceptions of the self, society, and culture will offer fresh insights into how art and media have been embraced, used, and innovated differently. It also looks at the equal possibility of the reverse: art and media interrogating societal and political practices. Cumulatively, the journal hopes to offer a landscape of ideas and techniques that connect and retain the specificities of art and media use in various Tamil communities.
For example, how Tamil cinema has historically shaped political consciousness in Tamil Nadu is well-researched in today’s context and the outcomes have impacted Tamil studies in particular and media studies in general. However, the same cannot be said with confidence about other art forms and media. The growth in images, digital technologies, and new practices of dissent are being documented and analysed. While, on the one hand, social media has been used to resist, mobilise and forge transnational solidarities, on the other hand, there has been increased censorship. This has been a constant issue in Tamil resistance in online spaces like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. These issues await thoughtful attention.
The Tamil Academic Journal invites you to contribute to these significant research areas and looks forward to hearing from you. Below is a sample list of specific ideas.
Research themes:
- The role of diaspora artists in shaping narratives of Tamil identity
- Tamil identity and Bharathanatyam
- Looking at events such as Marghaziyil Makkal Isai, Vaanam Art Festival and the role of anti-caste movements in performances and performance spaces
- Tamil Actors and the politics of “South-Asian representation” in the context of popular international TV shows such as Never Have I Ever and Bridgerton
Contributions must adhere to the Tamil Academic Journal’s mandate of dismantling all forms of oppression. Abstract submissions must be a minimum of 500 words. The deadline to submit proposals and abstracts is April 20th, 2025. Once the abstract is approved, the editors will outline a publication schedule for the final paper. Please email info@tamilacademicjournal.org for more information or if you have any questions.
Please submit your abstracts at this link: https://forms.gle/Kbg4mxHEugPaVaX16