AVsolmukkeesta

AVsolmukkeesta is a term in audiovisual media studies used to describe a knot-like organization of content in non-linear or interactive works. The concept treats audiovisual sequences as interconnected nodes linked by feedback and cross-modal associations, forming structures that resemble mathematical knots in their resistance to linear, single-path interpretation. It emphasizes relation and movement over isolated segments.

Originating from Finnish elements AV (audio-visual) and solmuke meaning knot, with the suffix -esta to indicate a conceptual field, AVsolmukkeesta was first circulated in scholarly circles in the early 2010s. It gained wider use through conference papers and critical essays addressing multimedia narratives that deliberately complicate cause-and-effect reading orders.

Core characteristics include nonlinearity, modularity, and multiplicity of pathways; nodes that function as anchors across time and space; feedback loops between audio, image, and context; and viewer agency in constructing meaning. The term is often used in close readings of experimental film, video installations, and interactive media.

Applications include analysis of experimental cinema, immersive installations, interactive documentaries, and transmedia storytelling. Researchers use AVsolmukkeesta to map how audiences navigate overlapping sequences, cues, and modalities, and to discuss how knot-like structures affect memory, interpretation, and engagement.

Critics note that while the metaphor captures complexity, it can obscure practical mechanisms behind media structures. Some argue that the term risks vagueness if not anchored by concrete examples or methodological steps. Proponents contend that it helps describe emergent properties of contemporary cross-modal works.