Abstract
The research of networks has become a familiar method in various disciplines, both in natural sciences and in humanities. Networks are frequently proclaimed to be a transformation from old rigid hierarchical establishments into new, more dynamic and democratic types of organization.
For some, they also represent a universal hidden structure that is organising processes in domains as diverse as neurons and galaxies. A key feature of the proliferation of this network paradigm are illustrations and visualizations.
The simplifying visual language of nodes and links makes it possible to unify heterogeneous types of interactions and blurs the lines between networks that are physical, virtual, social or mechanical. An important role also plays the attractiveness of these visualizations and their self-proving nature (the initial model is sometimes misinterpreted as a proof).
Networks are becoming a visual symbol of a dynamic transformation, fluidity, interdisciplinarity or progress. Network images are starting to be more apparent in the contemporary art, cinema and advertising.
They are more and more rooted in our visual culture and display the potential to become the symbol of the 21. century. Furthermore, their symbolism is influencing the implementation of network models in academia.