CALL FOR PAPERS AND PARTICIPATION

24th International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA2018)
and the 5th Arts and Design Digital Festival (Digifest5)

 June 23-30, 2018

Durban University of Technology, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

http://www.isea-international.org/isea2018                        

ISEA is one of the world’s most prominent international arts and technology events, bringing together scholarly, artistic, and scientific domains in an interdisciplinary discussion and showcase of creative productions applying new technologies in art, interactivity, and electronic and digital media.

The ISEA2018 theme of Intersections positions creative technological innovation as an activist engagement into public space and public practice. Creative collaboration between artists, artisans, designers, technologists, entrepreneurs, engineers, scientists and inventors will take place in a context where survival is the most basic instigator for solutions. In such a scenario, technological developments follow and support these solutions. In addition, the role of the artist is essential in providing opportunities to build new and exciting interactions between people and place.

ISEA2018 welcomes the following submissions:

  • Academic: papers, posters, panels and round-tables for double blind peer review.
  • Presentations and discussions: in the form of artist talks, conversation sessions and institutional presentations.
  • Creative: in the form of artworks, showcases, design solutions, socially engaged interventions, performances, residencies, workshops, tutorials.

ISEA International encourages the Host Organisation to incorporate aspects of local culture, history and traditions (as they pertain to arts and technology) to make every Symposium a unique and rewarding socio-cultural experience.

SUB-THEMES

Hybridisation and Purity

The sub-theme provides for contributions reflecting the purity of numbers, code and technology interfacing with art, as well as hybridisation in relation to art, science and technology. This sub-theme includes contributions on identities, diversity and pluralism, migration and urbanisation as well as notions of democracies – all in relation to art, science and technology. We invite contributions on the purity of technology, sound, light and the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ (artificial intelligence, virtual reality), networks and net neutrality, as well as on the digital divide and technology for development.

Emancipation and Pain

The sub-theme provides for contributions on the politics of art, science and technology in its broadest sense. This includes critical assessments on surveillance and intelligence; ‘high art’; elitism and exclusivity, popular culture and inclusivity. Contributions are welcomed on revolutions, reclaiming spaces and places, the ritualised everyday, contested notions of ‘informality’ and as well as on voice and voiceless. It provides for contributions on xenophobia, colonial legacies and new powers intersecting with media art practices, addressing the challenges of diversity. Contributions are welcomed on the social practice of art and science engagement, as well as on art and activism.

Spirit and Flesh

The sub-theme provides for contributions on intangible and tangible heritage; on mobius and teleos; as well as indigenous knowledge systems, reality and lived experiences. It also includes contributions on the self and the body as well as on infinity and life beyond. In addition, it provides for critical assessments on media art and culture, the relevance of the classic museum environment and the potential for public space activations.

In between the cracks

The sub-theme allows for contributions on anything in-between; which do not fit into identified sub-themes, and that push the boundaries of art, science and technology. Individual scholars and artists, as well as those working in groups are welcome to propose sessions, events, roundtables, exhibitions and performances which go beyond the suggested themes and which seek to enhance the overall conference experience.

The official language of the event is English. Submissions must be written in English.

FORMAT

Academic

Papers:     should be 4-8 pages in length. Accepted Paper presentations will be afforded 20-minutes oral presentation with 10 minutes Q & A.

Posters: proposals should be 2 pages. Accepted posters proposals will be invited to submit poster with template provided.

Panels and roundtables: proposals should be 2-3 pages in length. Accepted panels and roundtable discussions will take the form of moderator-led groups of 3–5 experts responding to questions on the selected topic.

Paper, poster, panel and roundtable proposals will be double-blind peer reviewed.

Presentations and discussions

Artist talks: short 10-minute presentations or demonstrations that showcase artworks, design artefacts, or works in progress.

Institutional presentations: 20-minute sessions that are intended as opportunities for networking and as a forum for institutions such as museums, NGOs, networks, schools, and companies to introduce themselves to the community.

Conversation sessions: 30-minute 2-4 person discussions with participants from different disciplines focused around a common challenge.

Workshops: half or full day interactive presentations that lead the audience to concrete outcomes.

Tutorials: half or full day interactive presentations that explain or train the audience in a method, technique or toolkit.

Workshop and tutorial submissions require a 2-4 page proposal in English that includes title, duration (half or full day), organizer bios and affiliations, 200 word (max) abstract (ready for distribution/publication), rationale, instructional methods, plan to solicit participation, link to workshop tutorial website, and required equipment (technical rider).

Talks, institutional presentations and conversation-sessions submissions require a 2-4 page proposals.

Presentation and discussion proposals will be selected by appropriate chairs and the organizing committee based on their quality and relevance to the Symposium.

Creative

Artistic works: productions of artists, designers, and/or scientists that include creative engagement with technology, science and art (such as electronic sound art, audio-visual digital art, exhibitions, performances, installations, media art). Preference is given to projects and production that is locally relevant and engaged with a history and experience of working in the African context. Projects are focused on public interventions in and around the coastal city of Durban.

Artworks, showcases, design solutions, socially engaged interventions, performances, residencies, workshops, tutorials requires a 2-4 page proposal in English including title, author bios and affiliations, 200 word (max) abstract (ready for diffusion), general project/work description, link to a video or demo website, and required equipment (technical rider).

Artistic works and design cases proposals will be selected by appropriate chairs and the organizing committee based on their quality and relevance to the Symposium.

DIGIFEST – ISEA2018 will incorporate Durban University of Technology’s annual Arts and Design Digital Festival (Digifest). This event promotes interdisciplinary exchanges across design and art disciplines in workshops, talks programs, performances, exhibitions, and public activations on DUT campuses.

KEY DATES:

  • Call published: 1 November 2017
  • Submission system opens: 15 September 2017
  • Deadline for submission of papers, posters, panels, roundtables, artistic works, design cases, residencies, workshops, and tutorials: 01 December 2017
  • Notification of acceptance for papers, posters, panels, roundtables, artistic works, design cases, residence, workshop, and tutorials: 01 February 2018
  • Deadline for submission of artist talks, conversation sessions and institutional presentations: 01 March 2018
  • Notification of acceptance for artist talks, conversation sessions and institutional presentations: 30 March, 2018
  • Deadline for camera-ready submissions to be included in the proceedings (papers and abstracts of posters, panels, and roundtables): 01 April 2018
  • ISEA2018: June 23-30, 2018 in Durban South Africa