There is a strong need for advances in the fields of image indexing and retrieval and visual query languages for multimedia databases. Image technology is facing both classical and novel problems for the organization and filtering of increasingly large amounts of pictorial data. Novel kinds of problems, such as indexing and high-level content-based, accessing to image databases, human interaction with multimedia systems, approaches to multimedia data, biometrics, data mining, computer graphics and augmented reality, have grown into real-life issues.

The papers in this proceedings, although all related to the subject matter of multimedia databases and image communication, all have somewhat different points of view. We feel that this variety of approaches should be nurtured and commended, as it helps in keeping this field of research lively and interesting.

Finally, we would like to express our thanks to everyone who helped or otherwise cooperated to make the present proceedings volume successful: the program committee, the invited speakers, the anonymous referees, and all the researchers who have contributed with their submissions.