Presenttijohdos

Presenttijohdos is a neologism used in media theory and contemporary literature to describe a method in which a single artifact presents multiple, potentially incompatible perspectives, timelines, or interpretations within the same frame. The approach foregrounds multiplicity and viewer agency, resisting a single authoritative voice. It is often associated with experimental forms in video essays, digital art installations, and branching narrative works.

The term is described in online discussions and speculative scholarship as a portmanteau-like construction that blends a sense of presenting the present with a suffix implying coexistence or plurality. Its precise origin is unclear and appears in varying forms across communities, with some tracing it to early online glossaries and others to informal discussions among media theorists and artists.

Core features of presenttijohdos include simultaneous presentation of multiple readings, non-closure, and an emphasis on audience interpretation. Works employing the concept may interleave scenes or voices, overlay competing narratives, or embed parallel timelines within a single artifact, often without resolving the tensions they raise.

In practice, presenttijohdos aims to expand critical engagement by exposing audiences to diverse readings and inviting comparison rather than synthesis. Critics note that it can illuminate complex subjects and encourage reflexivity, though it may also challenge audiences accustomed to linear or singular narratives.

See also: polyvocality, montage, branching narrative, immersive installation.