This is a showcase of excellence in contemporary media art. The CyberArts exhibition at the OK Center for Contemporary Art features the best works singled out for recognition by the 2016 Prix Ars Electronica. The world’s most coveted prize honoring creativity and pioneering spirit in media art has been awarded annually since 1987. Thousands of artists all over the world submit their works for prize consideration; a jury of experts from throughout the world evaluates the entries and selects the best. In addition to prize money, each grand prize winner also receives a Golden Nica statuette, which will be bestowed at the Ars Electronica Gala on Friday, September 9, 2016 in the Brucknerhaus. All the prizewinning works are on display in the CyberArts show at the OK.

Once again this year, the CyberArts exhibition will spotlight an array of outstanding works of media art from all over the world. The lineup includes an interactive espionage Installation by Christoph Wachter and Mathias Jud (CH), and Ann-Katrin Krenz’s (DE) robotic milling tools that crawl across tree trunks like parasites and engrave poems in encoded form into their bark. CyberArts’ spectrum is broad and diverse—it encompasses, not only a DIY home surgery system developed by Frank Kolkman (NL) but also “Exhausting a Crowd,” Kyle McDonald’s take on the subject of surveillance. The Prix Ars Electronica also honors the merits and pioneering achievements of important individuals in the history of media art. Prominent art critic and exhibition producer Jasia Reichardt immortalized herself in 1968 with a show entitled “Cybernetic Serendipity.” In recognition of this accomplishment, she’s the 2016 Visionary Pioneer of Media Art.

The Prix Ars Electronica is considered the world’s most important showcase of excellence in digital media art. Its 29-year history impressively documents how quickly the Digital Revolution has progressed during this time span. Hannes Leopoldseder had the idea of launching a generously sponsored, multidisciplinary computer art competition. It was launched in 1987 with judging in three categories. That number has since grown to seven: Computer Animation/Film/VFX, Digital Musics & Sound Art, Interactive Art+, Digital Communities, Hybrid Art, u19 – CREATE YOUR WORLD and—the latest addition—Visionary Pioneers of Media Art, whereby four of these categories—two groups of two—alternate on a biennial basis.

The Prix Forums furnish an extraordinary opportunity to festivalgoers—a chance to meet the human beings behind the works of art. Here, you can enjoy up-close-and-personal encounters with the artists honored by the Prix Ars Electronica and the jurors who made the selections. In formal speeches and casual conversations, you can find out more about the works, the ideas behind them, and the challenges the artists responded to. The Digital Communities Forum is dedicated to the social consequences of global interconnection via digital networks.

The Prix Forums are produced by the European Digital Art and Science Network.

Speakers

The Prix Forums furnish an extraordinary opportunity to festivalgoers—a chance to meet the human beings behind the works of art. Here, you can enjoy up-close-and-personal encounters with the artists honored by the Prix Ars Electronica and the jurors who made the selections. In formal speeches and casual conversations, you can find out more about the works, the ideas behind them, and the challenges the artists responded to. The Interactive Art+ Forum will elaborate of interactive works and the expanded interpretation of interactive art.

The Prix Forums are produced by the European Digital Art and Science Network.

Speakers

The Prix Forums furnish an extraordinary opportunity to festivalgoers—a chance to meet the human beings behind the works of art. Here, you can enjoy up-close-and-personal encounters with the artists honored by the Prix Ars Electronica. The Prix Forum IV will be dedicated to Jasia Reichardt, this year’s Visionary Pioneers of Media Art laureate. The prominent art critic and exhibition curator made headlines worldwide with a trailblazing 1968 exhibition at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts. “Cybernetic Serendipity” was the title of this much-discussed show in which, instead of human artists, the spotlight was suddenly on computers, machines and algorithms as “artists.”

The Prix Forums are produced by the European Digital Art and Science Network.

Speakers