Opening comments

Christl Baur is the Head of the Ars Electronica Festival, where she leads as an interdisciplinary researcher specializing in the convergence of art and science. She has curated and co-produced a wide range of exhibitions and performances, including 40 Years of Humanizing Technology—Art, Technology, and Society in collaboration with CAFA and the Design Society in Shenzhen, China.

Baur’s expertise extends to various fields, including video art, new media technologies, computer art, biotechnology and interactive art. She teaches at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria and her contributions are not limited to practical endeavors but also extend to academic publications. She has authored thought-provoking texts such as Art with a Lifespan: Digital Technologies and the Preservation of Bio Art and Intersections of Media Art & the Art Market, which featured in the Journal of Visual Art Practice.

Furthermore, Baur’s expertise has made her a highly sought-after speaker, gracing prestigious conferences such as ISEA, TTT2020 Vienna, Montreal Digital Week and Vienna Art Week with her insights. In addition, her contributions to the field of media art have been acknowledged through her participation in renowned international juries, including the NTU Global Digital Art Prize in Singapore, and the Global Creative Technology Design Award, and she serves on the jury of the German Federal Cultural Foundation.