Problem statement: Urban billboards are one of the most effective advertising media and due to the way that Visual elements are used in them, they play an important role in attracting the audience. The use of Visual metaphors in this advertising medium is very important and its recognition depends on understanding the interaction between Visual elements and the way the message is conveyed. Little research has been done on Visual metaphors in the field of Iranian advertising, and therefore their performance has been less studied in this field of art. Research objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the Visual representation of metaphor in terms of structural features in advertising billboards in Tehran. In this regard, a social semiotic approach based on Visual mechanisms has been adopted. In addition, metaphorical analysis of interactive meanings is also examined. The main research question is whether the Visual metaphors used in advertising billboards can be considered in accordance with certain Visual mechanisms. Research method: The research method used is descriptive-analytical. The purposeful selection of the statistical population includes 35 billboards in Tehran, the main design of which are Visual metaphor. Conclusion: The metaphors used in billboards have played the role of messaging through the interaction of Visual elements, which are compatible with the Visual mechanisms of the social semiotic approach, and their representation consists of certain structural features. The results of the analysis of the purposeful statistical population consisting of 35 billboards in Tehran, show that all billboards comply with one of the mechanisms. The actional mechanism-which is realized by substituting the conventional element with an unconventional element-has been most used, and on the other hand, the classificational mechanism that have numerous Visual elements; has been less used.

Information Visualization is a computer-assisted method for data representation. By processing the information into a Visual framework, it enables the user to observe, browse, receive and understand information. Information Visualization is a new research field that concentrates on using Visualizing techniques towards helping people understand and analyze data. The fundamentals of Visualization include GUI design, Computer Graphics, HCI, cognitive theories and graphic design. Based on Schneiderman’s classification, information Visualization includes one, two, three ad multidimensional as well as time-based, hierarchical and network data.

In this study, the researcher chose three different vocabulary techniques (Visual representation, Textual Enhancement, and Glossing) and compared them with traditional method of teaching vocabulary. 80 advanced EFL Learners were assigned as four intact groups (three experimental and one control group) through using a proficiency test and a vocabulary test as a pre-test. In the Visual group, students used flashcards; in the textual enhancement, every synonym and antonym were highlighted and numbered and in the glossing group new vocabularies were numbered and their explanations were provided in the margins or footnotes. Students in the control group learned vocabulary through traditional way by meaning explanation, translation, or providing synonyms and antonyms. All the other three groups had the same procedure as control group but besides these processes they had access to Visual, textual, or glossing techniques, too. The results showed that in the posttest, all three experimental groups outperformed the control group. However, the highest improvement in both post-test and delayed post-test was for glossing group. As a whole, we can say improvement in vocabulary learning was respectively for glossing, then Visual, and finally textual enhancement. Therefore, it can be concluded that using pictorial, textual cues and glossing enhance their interlanguage system.

With the development of Visual communication in the present age, the analysis and reading of Visual texts in order to decipher the meanings and express their meanings is of particular importance. Critical discourse analysis, as one of the approaches that considers both the context of the text and the social context of the text, has made it possible to study discourses in works of art. The purpose of this paper is to introduce Visual discourse or Visuality as a way to analyze images, and its theoretical framework is dedicated to reviewing the critical Visual methodology, which is an integrated model of Rose and Fairclough methodology. In the process of analysis, the Mellat Bank's advertising campaign has been Visually criticized in order to elucidate its Visual discourse based on the textual components of the images and the fields of its representation. The structure of technology, the configuration of images, and the social effects of Visual components are discussed in the sites of the text, discourse action, and social action. The findings of the research indicate that the discourse function of this campaign is to highlight the value of money as national and cultural capital and to promote empathy and patriotism in the audience, during which the Mellat Bank changes its identity from a financial institution to a cultural institution.

The active and stylized presence of contemporary Iranian women on Instagram has fostered a distinct mode of mediated life and introduced Foucault’s heterotopia into the analytical discourse. This Visual representation is subject to the disciplinary structures embedded in the spatial configuration of media, while simultaneously navigating the hyperreal flood of endless images— bringing the analysis into Baudrillard’s realm of hyperreality. This study adopts a combined Foucauldian–Baudrillardian lens to interpret this phenomenon. By examining public Instagram posts between January 2022 and August 2023 and purposively selecting 60 data-rich samples, the study uses qualitative content analysis to show how media heterotopia and hyperreal discourse discipline the female body into a submissive, objectified form.

Art and expression are intertwined. Art has consistently represented the conditions of the society in which it has been formed, and today, what mankind knows about the past societies is largely based on the works of art from each civilization. Exploring works of art is of particular importance, acquainting us with the identity of past societies. It can be said that the remnants of any civilization represent its identity, mood, prevailing social conditions, laws and traditions. Among the variety of themes, the theme this article is looking for is ethics in the works of art in Mesopotamia. As ethics encompasses a wide range of areas, and it is impossible to study this general concept in works of art; so, among the many dimensions of good or bad morals, we have considered violence. First, today's definition of violence is discussed, and then, what was called violence in Mesopotamian civilization is studied. In the present paper, the Visual works of Mesopotamian civilization have been studied. Although we take a look at all periods, in fact the emphasis will be on the periods more closely related to the theme of violence which their works represent, although symbolically, violence. What is certain is that it will be impossible to analyze works of art without studying the social, cultural, and religious contexts of society, but since the breadth of Mesopotamian civilization prevents us from discussing the details of kings and the social conditions of society of that timeless civilization, we have just concentrated on the evidence directly related to the theme of this article. The main concern of the present article is the current definition of violence, the definition of what had been called violence in Mesopotamian society, and the study of the works remained from this ancient civilization with the theme of violence. It is noteworthy that all the themes of violence have been examined, including violence against animals. Examining the instances of violence in Mesopotamian society and their representation in their works of art leads to the logical classification of violence in Mesopotamian society and how it is represented in that society. In the present article, which is based on descriptive-analytical method and documentary data, questions have been answered such as: Can the existing violence in Mesopotamian civilization be classified? And which of the violence types existing in Mesopotamian society has an artistic representation, and why? By examining the works of art studied in this article, as a small representative of the remaining works of Mesopotamian civilization, it can be concluded that one of the most colorful themes in the works of art in this civilization is violence, and this theme can be seen in different forms in works of art. What is certain is that the representation of violence in the works of art reflects the violence in Mesopotamian society, which stems directly from the context of society. Based on the results from the study of these works, the violence in Mesopotamian civilization can be classified into the following types:-Violence against animals (hunting scenes in works of art)-Social violence (including: violent laws, violence against slaves and residents of enemy cities)-War violence-Psychological violence (confession to the arrogant killings by kings, psychological stimulation of the inhabitants of the besieged cities, etc. ) The point about psychological violence is that it refers to violence that is insanely described by kings in inscriptions, and that kings have proudly immortalized their killings, assassinations, and bloodshed through the inscriptions and perpetuated them for future generations. Now we come to the answer of the question: which of the existing violence has had an artistic representation and why? By studying the works, it became clear that violence against animals and war violence had a more prominent artistic representation than any other types of violence. However, social violence had almost no artistic representation, except for a small number of slaves, and had only been palpable in society at the time. It can be inferred that although social violence existed in their laws, it had not been severely realized and had occasionally been modified by other conditions, such as fines. Religious beliefs in Mesopotamia are the main reason for the colorful representation of war violence. The kings considered war a kind of jihad against evil forces and did not hesitate to do anything to achieve victory. No surprise that they recorded their victories in the works of art with full authority. According to the World Health Organization on group violence, group violence can have social, economic, and political factors, and we have seen the same effect in the study of the works of Mesopotamian civilization. War violence is considered a form of group violence which was applied under religious and doctrinal pretexts and with real political motivations.

With the advent of globalization, especially in its third phase (see Robertson, 2003), global relations of domination have undermined abuse of power at national and local levels (Fairclough, 2001). Global ELT textbooks, as corollaries of the globalization process, are not immune to the embedment of discriminatory discourses, as various studies have shown (see for example, Gray, 2010, 2012; Babaii and Sheikhi, 2017). On the other hand, a social actor analysis of verbal and Visual discourse will contribute significantly to the disclosure of discriminatory discourses (see van Leeuwen, 2008; Hart, 2014). The current study, therefore, reduces the gap in research on ideology of ELT materials by probing into the nursery rhymes in children and young-adult ELT textbooks. Visual representation of social actors in the images accompanying nursery rhymes in Magic Time, English Time, Let's Go and Family and Friends were, thus, examined, using van Leeuwen's (2008) framework. Regarding results, the most frequent exclusionary discourses in the corpus included religion, nationality, race, and gender respectively. Significantly, it was found that monochromatic depiction of social actors constituted a strategy for the discursive construction of otherness in Family and Friends. Additionally, a process, called whitenization of blacks in the terminology of the current study, was found to be at work in which blacks were depicted as having the facial features of whites.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate culture representation in ACT series, a recently developed EFL textbook by Iran Language Institute, with a focus on the Visuals. Two models were taken into account for content analysis: Cortazzi and Jin (1990) to investigate the type of culture (i. e., source, target, & international) and Adaskou, Britten, and Fahsi (1999) to investigate the dimension of culture (aesthetic & sociological). Analysis of 1581 Visuals indicated that textbook developers have placed a high value on presenting international and source cultures while target culture has received comparatively little attention to fulfill the mission for which the series was developed. Additionally, as of the two dimensions of culture, Visuals representing the sociological dimension of culture outnumbered those manifesting the aesthetic dimension. To conclude, it can be claimed that ACT series can be beneficial in promoting intercultural awareness among its audience and providing the learners with an opportunity to communicate their cultural and national identity with other bilingual speakers of English. The study ends with some future lines of research for the interested researcher.

Over time, the Shell of Arg square, has undergone some structural changes. So far the Arg square has not been represented. representation and shape analysis of the Shell components of the Square can reveal the characteristics of the square. Understanding the components of the shell can be one of the suitable solutions for the rehabilitation of the elements of this valuable square. The size and shape of the frames, openings and porches have been directly influenced by the formation of the final form of the historical Arg square. The authors have focused on the historical characteristics and the process of forming the adjacent set of square and passages; In this paper, for the first time, the shell representation of the Arg Square will be analyzed. This paper seeks to examine the role of the elements forming the final form of the Arg square shells. In this research, using descriptive-analytical method, comparative analysis and comparison of field wall components is performed. The research data were analyzed by field study and library studies. The results indicate that in shaping the Arg square shells in different periods From the Nasserian period to the early Pahlavi period, of frames, openings and porches with rhythm and their joint combinations are used together.