Centre for Multimodal Communication, Campusvej 55, Odense (2026)

Centre for Multimodal Communication was established in November 2013 to promote and support innovative and socially significant research into multimodal communication. We study semiotic artefacts as well as the social practices in which they are embedded, and are particularly interested in the changing role of language in relation to other modes of communication, the physical embodiment and techno

logical mediation of semiotic resources and their uses, and multimodal narratives. We not only disseminate our work through academic presentations and publications but also develop activities to reach out to a wider public.

07/09/2026

Dronning Margrethe har abdiceret... eller er hun abdiceret? 🤔

These were just some of the linguistic questions explored last Thursday when Oliver Rix Johannsen presented his PhD project on the choice between “være” and “have” in Danish perfect constructions.

After a an engaging presentation and a great discussion with our external discussant, Klaus Geyer, the conversation continued long after the session had officially ended. A sure sign of a presentation that got people thinking. We look forward to following the project as it develops.

26/08/2026

What role should libraries play in a generative knowledge society?

This question was at the centre of a presentation given by MLO member Søren Vigild Poulsen at Aalborg University Library (AUB)’s theme day on AI on 18 August.

Søren explored how libraries can respond to a world in which generative AI increasingly supports information retrieval, writing, metadata work, and administrative processes. His main point was that libraries should not compete with AI to provide quick answers. Instead, they should strengthen their role in evaluating sources, supporting transparent research methods, validating knowledge, and creating shared points of reference.

Drawing on Umberto Eco, Eric Klinenberg, and others, Søren presented libraries as much more than providers of information. Eco’s theoretical and literary work, including his portrayal of the labyrinthine library in The Name of the Rose, reminds us that libraries are also spaces of interpretation, memory, and power. In Palaces for the People, Klinenberg describes libraries as vital social infrastructure that brings people together and strengthens communities and civic life. These perspectives supported Søren’s argument that libraries should not remain a static support function in the age of AI. Instead, they can serve, with reference to Michael Hanegan and Chris Rosser’s wonderful book Generative AI and Libraries: Claiming Our Place in the Center of a Shared Future, as trusted stewards of knowledge and actively guide the ethical and human-centred development of an information-saturated knowledge society.

So, beneath the practical question of adapting to AI lies a more fundamental one: What kind of institution does the library want to be in a generative culture? Søren suggested that libraries should help preserve our collective memory while enabling society to assess, contextualise, and share knowledge in trustworthy ways.

The theme day also featured presentations by AUB staff on information retrieval, metadata work, automation, and the use of AI as a collaborative partner in administrative processes. Together, the presentations sparked discussions not only about efficiency, but also about human judgement, responsibility, ethics, and quality.

Thank you to Aalborg University Library for inviting Søren and for an inspiring day of presentations, questions, and conversations.

03/06/2026

Building bridges between organisation studies and multimodality research.

On 29–30 May, the MLO (Multimodality, Language and Organisation) research group hosted a symposium focused on the growing need to better understand the multimodal nature of organisations and organising.

Organised by MLO’s Daniel Wolfgruber, Heidi Hansen, Søren Vigild Poulsen, and Theo van Leeuwen, the symposium brought together leading scholars and emerging researchers to explore how communication, materiality, and technology shape organisations.

We were honored to welcome keynote speakers François Cooren (Université de Montréal), Dennis Jancsary (University of Liverpool), and Renate Meyer (WU Vienna), alongside panel contributions from Aarhus University, Aalborg University, and the University of Southern Denmark.

Across keynotes and panels, the symposium highlighted how closer dialogue between the two fields can strengthen both theoretical insights and analytical approaches to contemporary practices of organising.

Thank you to all speakers and participants for contributing to a very stimulating event.

Also a great thank you to Carlsbergfondet for generously sponsoring the symposium.
You can read about the symposium here: https://event.sdu.dk/multimodality/conference

31/05/2026

How do organisations come into being through communication?

This week, the MLO (Multimodality, Language and Organization) research group hosted a PhD course exploring this question, bringing together perspectives from organisation studies and multimodality research.

Taught by MLO’s Heidi Hansen and Theo van Leeuwen, the course combined lectures and hands-on workshops to:
• analyse how organisations and brands are communicatively constituted
• apply multimodal analytical tools to empirical organisational phenomena
• critically reflect on the role of material and embodied resources – such as organisational dress – shaping organisationality.

A key focus was the concept of organisationality: the gradual introduction of elements of formal organisation in social collectives held together by shared identities rather than legal arrangements.

The Ph.D. course was organised by MLO’s Daniel Wolfgruber, Heidi Hansen, Søren Vigild Poulsen, and Theo van Leeuwen.

Thank you to all participants for engaging discussions and thoughtful analyses!

The Ph.D. course was generously sponsored by the Carlsberg Foundation

You can read about the PhD course here: https://event.sdu.dk/multimodality/conference

24/04/2026

Last week, the research project Ignorance and Inequality in Sexual Health hosted a workshop with health communication practitioners working in the field of sexual health.

We were grateful to be joined by Marie Louise Poulsen (The Danish Committee for Health Education), Stine Bang (The Danish AIDS Foundation), and Maria Fonfara (independent photographer), who generously shared their professional experiences and discussed concrete examples from their work.

The workshop provided valuable insights into how health communication practitioners develop and convey sexual health information for diverse population groups, and into the practical challenges and considerations that shape this work in everyday contexts.

We are very thankful for our guests’ openness, expertise and willingness to engage in dialogue, which contributed greatly to the discussions and offered important perspectives for our ongoing research.

The workshop was funded by the VELUX Foundation.
VELUX Fonden AIDS-Fondet Komiteen for Sundhedsoplysning

17/04/2026

Earlier this week, the research project Ignorance and Inequality in Sexual Health hosted the conference Diversity in Sexual Health Communication.

It was truly a globally diverse event, bringing together participants from Australia, China, Denmark, Egypt, Greenland, India, Italy, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Scotland, Sweden, South Africa, Switzerland and the UK.

Across plenary sessions, panels and discussions, the conference offered a wealth of intellectually stimulating perspectives on diversity, inequality and communication in sexual health research and practice, with a particular focus on publicly available sexual health information.

Plenary presentations were delivered by Theo van Leeuwen (University of Southern Denmark), Deborah Bateson (University of Sydney), Gwen Bouvier (Shanghai International Studies University), and Gareth Millward (University of Southern Denmark).

In addition, a panel of sexual health communication practitioners enriched the conference with valuable practice-based insights: Marie Louise Poulsen (The Danish Committee for Health Education), Sofie Krog (The Danish Association of Youth with Disabilities), Stine Bang (The Danish AIDS Foundation), and Maria Fonfara (independent photographer).

The conference was made possible through generous funding from the VELUX Foundation.

We would like to thank all speakers and participants for their engagement and thoughtful contributions – your work and discussions made this a truly memorable event.

VELUX Fonden AIDS-Fondet SUMH Komiteen for Sundhedsoplysning

Adresse

Campusvej 55
Odense
5230

Internet side

https://www.sdu.dk/en/om-sdu/institutter-centre/iks/forskning/forskningsgrupper/multimodalitet

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