Keynote by Hans-Christian Hege
The VIS 2025 keynote talk will be given by Hans-Christian Hege.
Hans-Christian studied physics and mathematics at the University of Berlin. He was then employed as a research associate at the Institute for the Theory of Elementary Particles at the same university, working in the field of quantum field theory. In 1986, he founded the company Mental Images, where he worked as a leading scientist in software development until 1989. From 1989 to 2020, Hege worked as a scientist at the Zuse-Institute Berlin (ZIB). Hans-Christian was awarded the IEEE VGTC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.
In his keynote talk “The Science of Visual Insight: Transforming Data Visualization into a Rigorous Discipline”, Hans-Christian will focus on the foundations of data visualization. Data visualization is not yet a fully established science, but rather a practice or discipline based on insights from fields such as computer science, data analysis, design, perception, and cognition. To elevate data visualization to the rank of a science, it needs a philosophical foundation, a scientific core, and a rigorous methodology. His keynote talk will outline some of the gaps that need to be filled in order to achieve this.
When: Tuesday (November 4, 2025), 11:15, Hall E
Capstone by Theo Deutinger
The VIS 2025 capstone talk will be given by Theo Deutinger.
Theo is an Austrian architect, curator, and theorist. He is the founder and principal of The Department (TD), a practice that integrates architecture, urban design, and analytical research across various scales—from global planning to graphic design and curatorial work. He is known for his publications that critically examine societal structures through architectural and visual means. Key publications include Handbook of Tyranny (2018), Ultimate Atlas (2019) and Joy and Fear (2023). Theo’s work has been featured in institutions like the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York, and the Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel.
In his capstone talk “A Diagrammatic Approach to the World” Theo will focus on the practice of data visualization. Starting from the 100th anniversary of the Gesellschafts- und Wirtschaftsmuseum, founded by Otto Neurath - member of the Vienna Circle and inventor of ISOTYPE - Theo will go back in time and try to decipher the origin of data visualization. In this context, he will show examples of his own work and explain his fascination with the forces of globalization and how data visualization is the way to get a grip on them.
When: Friday (November 7, 2025), 11:15, Hall E