We at the Ars Electronica Futurelab understand this year’s Festival motto as a process that can be shaped together through art and active participation—inviting you to co-create HOPE.
At the Open Futurelab, you encounter Futurelab’s latest works with other artists and international partners. Hands-on stations, research prototypes, and installations explore many topics from democracy to rural exodus, from post-glacial landscapes and public health to literally foldable sound spaces. Guided Tours by Futurelab members share the process of creation and HOPE.
Tea Talks with our researchers and artists discussing creative business innovation, key research areas and collaboration modes await you at the adjacent Futurelab Lounge. On Saturday evening, Futurelab Night in Deep Space 8K at the Ars Electronica Center lets you experience Futurelab’s work audiovisually on a large scale—from immersive research reports to artistic performances. Some of the works also unfold in Deep Space 8K during the day.
Ars Electronica Futurelab at POSTCITY
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Open Futurelab
Ars Electronica Futurelab
The Open Futurelab invites you to explore the latest works of the Ars Electronica Futurelab, to engage and connect to shape the process of HOPE. We believe that art is one of humanity’s most powerful instruments to experience new potential worlds and enter a discourse about the future, inspiring HOPE in the process.
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Expert Tour: Open Futurelab at POSTCITY
Ars Electronica Futurelab Team
The Ars Electronica Futurelab team invites you to a tour of the Open Futurelab. We believe in the power of creativity to initiate social change and shape HOPEful visions for the future. Sometimes it can be hard work to reach a stage where HOPE is achievable.
Events, Concerts, Performances
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(Un)folding Sound Experience
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
Oribotic Spiral Presentation & Performance This performative introduction to the large-scale oribotic spiral plays with foldable sound spaces—geometrically as well as acoustically. The sculptural oribotic instrument, elegantly constrained by the mathematics of origami, expands and contracts acoustic space, reflecting a tension between rigidity and flexibility in systems of thought and social mechanisms. Meeting Point: at…
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*falcon heavy & Converge
Johannes Pöll (AT), Patrick Berger (AT), Raphael Schaumburg-Lippe (AT), Daniel Rammer (AT), Cyntha Wieringa (NL)
*falcon heavy is a shared multi-user experience for Deep Space 8K. It comprises a spatial dialog between live participants and an ever-shifting entity within a ritualistic virtual arena. This prototypical interactive real-time artwork sits between the cornerstones of chaos and order.
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Creative Business Innovation Lounge
Yoko Shimizu (JP), Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
Creative Business Innovation at Ars Electronica Futurelab fosters creativity in innovative projects by developing unique prototypes and initiatives that blend artistic vision with business strategies.
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Futurelab Night
Humans and avatars, immersive spaces, performances and presentations – the Futurelab Night in Deep Space 8K is an exciting trip into the future. A (free) reservation should be made sooner rather than later.
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State of Play: شهر بازی
Tara Habibzadeh (IR), Harriet Davey (GB), Mati Bratkowski (PL)
You will experience art and nothing else. State of Play: شهر بازی is a deconstructed interpretation of seven labors of Rostam, the lonely warrior of Shahnameh (Book of Kings), the long epic poem written between 977-1010 CE by the Persian poet Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi. State of Play: شهر بازی deconstructs the conventions of the game…
Lectures & Workshops
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AI x Art
Ali Nikrang (AT), Susanne Kiesenhofer (AT)
At a time when generative AI systems are autonomously creating images, videos, and music, the importance of human creativity is increasingly being questioned. But rather than viewing AI as a substitute for our creative abilities, it can support and enhance them.
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Artistic Exploration in Shared Hybrid Spaces
Harriet Davey (GB), Tara Habibzadeh (IR), Mati Bratkowski (PL), Johannes Pöll (AT), Patrick Berger (AT)
Five artists have been collaborating with SHARESPACE to engage in artistic explorations of the project’s technology and concepts in the past two years. Their work resulted in the creation of three artworks shown at the Deep Space 8K.
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Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Art
Ken Haga (JP), Vladan Joler (RS), Nicolas Naveau (FR/AT)
Art and data intersect to foster a more informed, compassionate society. Artistic strategies offer new experiences and understanding, creating meaning where science creates knowledge.
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Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Education
Satoshi Mabuchi (JP), Cyntha Wieringa (NL), Manuela Naveau (AT)
This talk brings together representatives from Shiga University and the Art University in Linz to talk about data art, its potential for innovative problem-solving, and how to integrate this new practice into educational programs.
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Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Food
Yasunobu Tomita (JP), Takeshi Kawanishi (JP), Michael Steininger (AT)
Food making faces challenges like resource scarcity, environmental degradation, population growth and cultural transmission.
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Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Revitalization
Toyota Coniq Alpha (JP), Kathrin Obernhumer (AT), Hideaki Ogawa (JP/AT)
Researching ways in which Data Art & Science (DAS) can aid in the local revitalization of the Shiga prefecture in Japan is one of the core goals of the DAS project.
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Data Art & Science (DAS) Workshop: Food
Takeshi Kawanishi (JP), Yasunobu Tomita (JP), Yoshio Okumura (JP), Michael Steininger (AT), Werner Traxler (AT)
Join us at Muto in Linz for a unique workshop blending culinary mastery and data science. Experience the expertise of a sushi master, a fermentation specialist, a sake producer and the masterful craft of Muto’s chefs, as they reveal their trade.
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Good Enough Ethics
Kathleen Richardson (GB/IE)
“Ethics by Design” (EbD) is a proactive approach that integrates ethical considerations into every stage of the development process to minimize potential harm to humans, animals, and the environment.
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NeXus Forum: Towards Future-oriented XR
Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) (JP) and Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
NeXus Forum: Towards Future-Oriented XR is a dynamic panel discussion organized by DNP and Ars Electronica Futurelab. The event brings together experts to explore the current applications and future developments of XR technology.
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NeXus Open Research
Dai Nippon Printing (JP), Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
This is a demonstration for the NeXus Open Research program: NeXus Open Research, a collaboration between DNP and Ars Electronica Futurelab, explores future XR technologies through scenario-based design. The project envisions applications via detailed, narrative-driven scenarios. At the Ars Electronica Festival 2024, visitors can experience XR technology, explore core research questions and shape future outlines.…
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Tea Talk: Creative Methods in Education
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
At this Tea Talk, researchers and artists from the Ars Electronica Futurelab, who lead the Futurelab Academy, invite you to engage in a lively discourse about creative methods in educational contexts over a (literal and metaphorical) cup of tea. By exchanging innovative approaches, creative models, challenging ideas and best practices this informal yet insightful event…
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Tea Talk: Futures Fluency
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
At this Tea Talk, researchers and artists from the Ars Electronica Futurelab invite you – over a (literal and figurative) cup of tea – to engage in a lively discourse about the courage to have optimism and HOPE in the face of immense challenges.
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Tea Talk: Imaginary Spaces
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
At this Tea Talk, researchers and artists from the Ars Electronica Futurelab invite you to explore the avant-garde of visualization and human computing technologies over a (literal and figurative) cup of tea.
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Tea Talk: Living Logic
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
At this Tea Talk, researchers and artists from the Ars Electronica Futurelab invite you to engage in a discussion on the programmability of matter and the intersection of making and unmaking in Living Logic over a (literal and figurative) cup of tea.
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Tea Talk: Negotiating Humanity
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
At this Tea Talk, researchers and artists from the Ars Electronica Futurelab invite you to explore human identity, creativity, and ethics with regard to AI and data over a (literal and figurative) cup of tea.
Works
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A Water Vein to the Futures
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT), DAS research group (JP)
Tomita Brewery has been brewing Japanese sake in Nagahama for approximately 460 years. To dissect its unique natural and cultural cycles, the Ars Electronica Futurelab is collaborating with the company.
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Behave-Knit
Lingxiao Luo (CN)
Behave-Knit challenges conventional notions of fashion by proposing garments that are more than mere objects—they become entities with personalities, capable of interaction. This raises intriguing questions about the future of clothing and our relationship with what we wear. If our clothing could respond to us as living beings, how would our treatment and perception of…
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Buzz Swatters
Godot (AT/JP), Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
Face the outbreak of a fictional mosquito pandemic in POSTCITY – with Buzz Swatters: Playful Pandemic Prevention, a collaboration between Godot and Ars Electronica Futurelab. To tackle the problem of infectious diseases, which requires collective action, you use a flyswatter as a voting tool to make decisions that encourage behavioral change for improved community health.…
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DAS Logo
DAS research group (JP)
The DAS (Data Art & Science) Logo is a continuously changing piece based on the conditions of various locations. It incorporates data from 60 live cameras monitoring the rivers flowing into Lake Biwa.
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Data Anatomy of a Fisherman
DAS research group (JP)
To re-evaluate the profession of fishing and discover its value for the future, two students closely followed a fisherman. They edited navigation data, income information, biometric data such as heart rate, and other relevant information to sheld light on the life of a fisherman. This exhibition showcases their findings.
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Data Art & Science (DAS) Center
Toyota Coniq Alpha (JP), Shiga University (JP), Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
Data Art & Science (DAS) is a new interdisciplinary field to incorporate artistic perspectives on data. At the Ars Electronica Festival 2024, visitors can experience a prototype of the DAS center which aims to revitalize local culture in the Japanese prefecture of Shiga – to help tackle problems such as depopulation and an ageing society.
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Future-Mobility Map
DAS research group
Shiga is centered around the vast Lake Biwa, leading to historically limited road transportation and ongoing traffic congestion issues. To address this unique challenge, could reviving ancient waterway transportation offer a solution?
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Gigantic Oribotic Spiral
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
We study the interplay between shells, spirals and their biological and latent social symbolism in the form of a large-scale rigid oribotic spiral sculpture and oribotic instruments. Our title reframes a quote from the seminal work On Growth and Form, in which Thompson posits that the mathematics of growth defines the shape of the shell…
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Memories for Futures
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT), DAS research group (JP)
Memories for Futures is a multi-modal media art installation designed to foster care and discussion about the future of rural life. It centers on Azusakawachi village in Japan and offers a glimpse of village life through local narratives, places, and impressions. Data for the project was collected during a workshop held in the village where…
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Persistent Time Sink Resonance
Persistent Time Sink Resonance is an artistic exploration of reality volumes utilizing 3D Gaussian Splatting. This recent rasterization technique supports the spatial reconstruction of real-life objects or even our surroundings in the computer.
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Säulen der Demokratie
Parlament Österreich—Parlamentsdirektion (AT), Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT)
This playful and interactive installation aims to increase civic participation and enhance awareness about the importance of democracy. The artistic intervention on the pillars (”Säulen”, in German) of the parliament building in Vienna invites people to express themselves, reflect and take a stand on democracy. The goal is to establish an emotional and personal connection…
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Schmilz, schmilz, Baby!
Aggro Climate (AT/FR)
By the end of the century, Alpine glaciers may lose 91% of their surface and 94% of their mass, potentially leaving Austria ice-free. Schmilz, schmilz, Baby! by Aggro Climate invites citizens to reimagine these landscapes. Join the dialogue, participate in an AI-driven competition and be part of a transformation that shapes the post-glacial future with…
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SHARESPACE
Ars Electronica Futurelab (AT), Harriet Davey (UK), Tara Habibzadeh (IR), Mati Bratkowski (PL)
How can humans use avatars in the near future? How can we engage in social situations that include both humans and avatars? And what technology do we need to explore these ‘hybrid’ spaces together? This is what the Horizon Europe research project SHARESPACE is all about. The project aims to push the boundaries of digital…