CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
25th International Symposium on Electronic Art
ISEA2019 Gwangju, South Korea
June 22-28 2019

http://isea2019.isea-international.org/

ISEA is one of the world’s most prominent international arts and technology events, bringing together scholarly, artistic, and scientific domains in an interdisciplinary discussion and showcase of creative productions applying new technologies in art, interactivity, and electronic and digital media.

Major Topic - Lux Aeterna
Detailed Topics - Aeternitas / Symphonia / Illuminatio / Penumbra

Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light)
A topic inspired by the literal meaning of the host city Gwangju, “City of Light”, includes subcategories embracing complex themes that allow open interpretations in culture, science, and history. For example, religiously, light implies divinity and immortality. Scientifically, it is an energy collection of particles and wavelength signals. It symbolizes the enlightenment and rationale in humanities. Also, the presence of light creates Umbra and Penumbra. In light of the fact that light is the most specific example of versatility in which various interpretations can occur, it will provide us with the context where cohesion of procedural logic based on the human sensibilities and technology of artistic inspirations is freely presented, which is in line with what ISEA has been pursuing.

Aeternitas: Eternity of the Mortal
This topic includes various perspectives associated with the eternity of the human being. Humans are finite beings. In contrast to their physicality, their achievements embody transcendental personalities beyond time. Scientific research, on the other hand, denies time transcendence because it is based on the experimental modification. In the near future with the technology’s singularity, humans may have to confront a moment to make a decision whether to physically gain an eternal life or to bestow transcendent personalities upon their traces. We look for works and researches in the theme of eternity and mortality that are inspired by religious, scientific, humanistic, and artistic aspects.

Symphonia: Harmony of Noise
Since both sound and light are wave-like phenomena (by possessing the characteristics of wavelength), a research topic in both sound and light can be expanded to Vision technology and the Signal Processing in engineering. In fact, there have been emerging opinions about Vision Insight that machines could be more accurate than humans when looking into the essence. However, not only limited to the field of science but also in many other fields, an unrefined signal could open up various possibilities of perspectives in interpreting the nature of collections of data. For example, in Phaidon, Simmias mentions the attunement referring to the remaining sound even after the destruction of Lyre. This topic, involving the two different types of wavelength invites a wide range of researches on light and sound, Data Analysis, Data Visualization that would extract meaningful signals from noise, and harmonization.

Illuminatio: Enlightenment of A.I (Artificial Intelligence) & A.E (Artificial Emotion)
Eighteenth-century Europe embraced Enlightenment ideals in order to advance culture and civilization by the power of the human intellect and rationale. The influence of the Enlightenment movement in the society is similar to that of Artificial Intelligence(AI) which could happen in the near future-breaking down the old customs and discovering and spreading the universal truth through objective observation. AI has been a controversial topic because it is uncertain how SNN(Spiking Neural Network) that mimics the thinking process of human’s social and artistic brain activity will be able to solve problems. Even if SNN gains the problem-solving ability, various kinds of questions still remain. For example, SNN’s decision-making process and the purpose for solving problems is vague. This topic seeks a type of projects and researches that explores AI’s ability to configure human’s creativity and emotion. In addition, assuming the feasibility of Artificial Emotion (A.E), this topic
invites works and research that deal with the essence of a man in the near future.

Penumbra: In-between
We look for various topics for research that are not mentioned above. Light and shadow are relative concepts. A research that might be deemed a failure for some researchers could be seen as the process of the search for the truth from the perspective of another research field. The topics of the paper mentioned so far are the signposts for guidance and inspiration. However, beyond our narrow point of view, we would like to hear your very own stories. We hope to encounter works and research that are full of imagination and creativity, beyond our limited frame.


ISEA2019 welcomes submissions for three broad formats of activities:

⦁ Academic
-Papers (4-8 pages): accepted paper presentations will be afforded 20-minute oral presentations with 5-minute Q&A sessions
-Poster (Maximum 2 pages of extended abstracts): accepted posters will be allotted a wall space at the conference venue.
-Panels (2-4 pages of proposal): Accepted panels discussions will take the form of moderator-led groups of 3-5 experts responding to questions on the selected topic.

⦁ Workshops, Tutorials, Artist talks and Institutional presentations
-Workshops: half or full day interactive presentations that lead the audience to concrete outcomes.
-Tutorials: half or full day interactive presentations that explain or train the audience in a method, technique or toolkit.
-Artist talks: short 10-minute presentations or demonstrations that showcase artworks, design artifacts, or works in progress.
-Institutional presentations: 20-minute sessions that are intended as opportunities for networking and as a forum for institutions such as museums, NGOs, networks, schools, and companies to introduce themselves to the community.

⦁ Artistic works
We welcome submission of interactive works, concerts, performances, screenings, installations, site-specific works, interdisciplinary projects, animation, video, experimental animation, photography, and events in public space.

Note that workshops, tutorials, artist talks, institutional presentations and artistic works require 2-4 pages of proposal.
Submissions are to be made through our ISEA2019 EasyChair portal: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=isea2019
For more details on how to contribute in any of the above categories and review process, see our submission page here: http://isea2019.isea-international.org/
submiGuide.asp


RESIDENCY PROGRAM FOR ISEA2019 WITH ACC

⦁ ISEA2019 in partnership with Asia Culture Center will host a number of artists-in-residence, to create works addressing the themes of ISEA2019, at Asia Culture Center (ACC) ACT Studio, Gwangju, Korea, from April to June 2019. ACC ACT Studios will provide flight tickets, accommodations and art production support to the selected artists. All forms and media are open for consideration. Exhibition of art created in the residency will occur in Gwangju during ISEA2019, and selected artists will be given the opportunity for ACC creators in Lab program. Deliverables expected from successful applicants include:
a. Artist Presentation for professional networking and general public Artist
b. Open Studio at Asia Culture Center, Gwangju
c. Documentation and behind-the-scenes interview created in conjunction with artist
d. Group juried exhibition of all artist-residents at Asia Culture Center during ISEA2019.
⦁ Please include the following in your application:
a. Application Form (Basic Contact Details)
- Artist Bio (within 300 words)
- Artist statement (200 - 500 words)
- Proposal (project description) (300 - 800 words)
b. CV / Portfolio (PDF format)
⦁ Deadline for applications is 11:59 pm (KST) on 31 October 2018. Please send your application in PDF format on the ISEA2019 website.
⦁ Applications will be selected by a panel comprising of ISEA2019 organizers and representatives of Asia Culture Center, based on their creativity and, relevance to the themes of ISEA2019, disruptiveness of the research, and impact to the community. For more information and questions, please email ISEA2019 Residency Program coordinators at ISEA2019@nabi.or.kr

ACC Official Website: https://www.acc.go.kr/en/about/overview


KEY DATES
⦁ Call published: 3 September 2018
⦁ Submission system opens: 15 September 2018
⦁ Submission deadline (residency program): 31 October 2018
⦁ Notification of acceptance (residency program): 30 November 2018
⦁ Submission deadline (papers, poster, panels, workshops and tutorials, artistic works): 30 November 2018
⦁ Notification of acceptance (papers, poster, panels, workshops and tutorials, artistic works): 22 February 2019
⦁ Submission deadline (artist talk, institutional presentations): 28 February 2019
⦁ Notification of acceptance (artist talk, institutional presentations): 31 March 2019

Topic Area: electronic art, arts and technology, interactivity, electronic and digital media