Visual Discourse IDC 2024

The Hidden Meanings of Visual Storytelling: An Embodied Cognitive Approach

At the Visual Discourse IDC 2024 conference, held from November 6-8 at the IDC School of Design, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Maarten Coëgnarts, a FilmEU ARCF member and Assistant Professor in Film Studies at the University of Antwerp, presented 'The Hidden Meanings of Visual Storytelling: An Embodied Cognitive Approach'. In his keynote address, Coëgnarts explored how dynamic patterns in cinema—such as containment, tension, and release—shape narrative meaning and emotional impact. Using keyframe animation, he demonstrated how visual elements like container, object, and path convey complex character dynamics and narrative principles. His videographic method, rooted in embodied cognitive science and showcased in his acclaimed video essay 'Embodied Visual Meaning [in] Motion', provided fresh insights into the power of visual storytelling.