ISEA2026 explores future of digital art through creativity and technology

Dubai: The 31st International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art (ISEA2026 Dubai), organised by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) in partnership with Zayed University under the theme ‘ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data, and Identity,’ hosted a series of discussions and workshops under its Special Tracks programme. The sessions explored the future of digital art archiving, the influence of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies on artistic practice, and the role of creativity in raising environmental awareness. They also examined the connections between technology, identity and cultural memory. Bringing together artists, researchers and experts from around the world, the programme supports the objectives of Dubai Culture’s Digital Arts Roadmap and its efforts to strengthen Dubai’s position as a global cultural reference, a leader in innovation, a driver of the creative economy, and rooted in Emirati heritage. The Special Tracks discussions set the stage for the main sessions of the Online Academic Programme, which begin on 10 November. They reflected the diversity of perspectives presented at this edition of ISEA, the largest in the symposium’s history, and highlighted the importance of collaboration among cultural, academic and research institutions in responding to rapid digital transformation. The sessions examined new approaches to preserving and documenting artworks and making them accessible to future generations. The workshops gave participants opportunities to explore creative coding, speculative design and artistic experimentation, while exchanging ideas about the evolving relationship between people, technology and the environment. Maitha Ali Al Blooshi, Director of the Emerging Arts Department at Dubai Culture and Executive Director of ISEA2026 Dubai, highlighted the opportunities offered by the Special Tracks programme for artists and specialists to exchange expertise, explore collaboration and develop their creative practices. Al Blooshi said: “The diversity of sessions and workshops reflects the expanding scope of digital arts and their connections with scientific and cultural disciplines. These exchanges offer fresh perspectives on our relationship with technology, the environment and memory, and demonstrate the value of international collaboration in encouraging research and experimentation. They also help us explore how emerging technologies can support the creation, exchange and preservation of knowledge.” She added: “Hosting ISEA2026 enables Dubai to strengthen connections among creative practitioners from around the world. This supports Dubai Culture’s efforts to build an integrated digital arts ecosystem, encourage innovation and create opportunities for new experiences and projects that enrich the cultural and creative landscape.” The New Media Art Archiving Summit was a highlight of the Special Tracks programme, with sessions examining artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, sustainability and approaches to preserving and documenting digital artworks. In ‘Constellating Memory: From Digital Archives to Living Knowledge Systems,’ Adina Hempel, Associate Professor and Director of the Zayed Institute for Architecture, Heritage and Arts at Zayed University, highlighted the importance of preserving the cultural connections and knowledge documented in archives. She also explored digital approaches that reflect the communities and contexts in which knowledge is created. In ‘Shaping New Media Art Trajectories: Interdisciplinary Strategies for Collections’, Anna Schäffler, Andreas Weisser and Lisa Long discussed how conservation methods can evolve through interdisciplinary practices that account for changes in digital artworks over time. In ‘The Evolving Archive of Digital Art (ADA) Towards the shared AI-supported Living Archive’, Oliver Grau presented the development of the Archive of Digital Art and examined the role of AI in advancing digital archives. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between museums and specialised institutions, as well as sharing resources for preservation and documentation. Sandra Alvaro and Bonnie Mitchell explored how emerging technologies can improve archival workflows, strengthen documentation tools and support the long-term preservation and accessibility of digital artworks in ‘Roundtable: The Use of AI in the Field of New Media Art Archiving’. The ‘Ecological Futures Lab: Navigating by New Stars’ track explored how art and technology can deepen understanding of environmental challenges and help envision the future. Its sessions and workshops brought together scientific research and creative imagination. In ‘Solarpunk Spell Seeds: A Living Method for Ecological Futures Sensing,’ Jodi Rose examined how artificial intelligence, storytelling and speculative design can help imagine alternative ecological futures, encouraging critical reflection and collective experimentation. The lab also featured ‘Sensing the Data, Practic