Ars Electronica Theme Symposium

Panic in a Global Context: Neuroscience, Culture, and Crisis 

The conference will shed light on the cultural history of dystopian narratives, which have always served as a mirror of social insecurities, and discuss how current threats—from wars to political upheavals—are triggering new forms of panic and shaping our coexistence.

Archipelago of Possible Futures—From AI Wars to Dual Futures: Reclaiming Democracy in the Face of Authoritarian Tech

Francesca Bria (IT/DE) & José Luis de Vicente (ES)

Archipelago of Possible Futures is a one-day forum that traverses from panic into possibility. The forum unfolds across three movements—Reckoning, Rebuilding, and Reimagining—as we confront the rise of authoritarian infrastructures, forge Europe’s democratic alternatives, and venture into visions and speculations for future democratic technologies. 

Art and Culture in Times of Uncertainty: From Artistic Practice to Social Action

Art and Culture in Times of Uncertainty: From Artistic Practice to Social Action situates art and culture at the intersection of disciplinary paths—a site of collective and individual sense-making where complexities are translated across disciplinary narratives.

STAGED REALITIES

Tawny Schlieski (US), Heather Knight (US), Brigitta Muntendorf (DE), Matthieu Lorrain (FR/US), Victorine van Alphen (NL), Carla Meller (DE), Ali Nikrang (AT/IR), Nils Corte (DE), Michael Rau (US), Magda Romanska (US), Marcus Lobbes (DE), Pablo Palacio (ES), Sarah Ellis (GB), Silke Grabinger (AT), Anders Hasmo (NO), Hermann Schneider (DE)

Technology has always been both at the core of stagecraft and fueling the imagination for playwrights. Today, AI enters the stage, bringing new possibilities. The conference brings to stage leading practitioners, technologists, and researchers of AI in theater and performative art.