Dubai is preparing to host the 31st edition of the International Conference on Digital and Emerging Arts, ‘ISEA 2026’, from 6 to 15 November. Under the theme “Al Yah: Arts Connecting Place, Data, and Identity,” the conference aims to investigate key intersections between art, science, and technology while envisioning the future of digital arts. This initiative is part of ‘Dubai Culture’s’ commitment to developing the digital arts ecosystem and supporting the goals outlined in the ‘Digital Arts Roadmap’, ultimately empowering talented individuals and expanding their horizons while nurturing sector growth and adapting to rapid transformations in art and technology. The objective is to establish Dubai as a global reference point for culture, a leader in innovation, a driver of the creative economy, and deeply rooted in Emirati heritage.
Innovative Programme Incorporating the Global Community
In this context, Dubai Culture has unveiled the main features of the academic and artistic programme for the international event, which will adopt a hybrid model. This includes a physical arts programme featuring events across numerous venues in Dubai, complemented by an academic programme presented through digital platforms. This approach broadens the scope for participation and interaction, enabling creative and academic communities from around the world to collaborate and share insights.
The interest in the conference is evident, with more than 1,000 submissions received for the artistic programme, resulting in the selection of 100 artworks. The academic programme attracted over 150 submissions and will include approximately 140 research papers, more than 40 meetings and dialogues with artists and practitioners, over 15 workshops, 10 discussion panels, and seven environment labs. Additionally, four exhibitions and sessions will be featured in the special tracks of the artistic programme, which will present a diverse array of content that melds knowledge, art practices, and creative experiences, transforming the emirate into an open space for dialogue, experimentation, and exploration of shifts redefining the relationship between art and technology.
Diverse Agenda Focused on Art, Technology, and Environmental Challenges
The international conference agenda will encompass keynote speeches, academic paper presentations, specialist discussions, artist dialogues, and a variety of artistic experiences. Notably, it will include a ‘New Media Art Archiving Summit’, addressing themes such as artificial intelligence, digital arts, emerging technologies, and sustainability, thereby providing a broader understanding of the changes affecting artistic practices in the face of rapid technological advancement.
The artistic programme will present a wide range of events across various venues in Dubai, transforming them into spaces where art meets technology and innovation through a series of exhibitions, interactive events, performances, guided tours, installations, film screenings, and specialist classes. Among the locations showcasing the programme are: Al Safa Art and Design Library, the Union Museum, Kanvas, Foundry Gallery, ARTE Museum, TODA, and light projection displays at Al Wasl Dome. One of the highlighted paths is ‘Evolving Calligraphy, Letter Art, Typography’, which includes ‘Calligraphy to Code’, exploring the evolution of calligraphy, lettering, and forms of writing through digital media and computing technologies. The conference will also showcase a variety of digital, immersive artworks, and place-related research projects that explore intersections between creativity and modern science and technology, providing audiences with diverse interaction opportunities with contemporary artistic trends, unveiling the potential of technologies for innovative forms of expression and creativity.
Enhancing Dubai’s Cultural Presence on the Global Stage
Mytha Ali Al Balushi, Director of Emerging Arts at Dubai Culture, emphasised that hosting the international conference strengthens Dubai’s position on the global cultural map and affirms its role in fostering dialogue and exchange among various creative practices and disciplines. She noted, “The number of entries attracted by ISEA 2026 from around the world reflects the emirate’s ability to gather artists, researchers, and practitioners, highlighting its environment that encourages innovation and idea exchange, providing local talents with broader avenues for learning, experimentation, and establishing relationships with specialised international networks.” Furthermore, she added, “The significance of ISEA 2026 lies in the diversity of disciplines and expertise it brings together, facilitating interaction between art, research, and technology while forging new cooperation pathways and enhancing the strength of the digital and emerging arts ecosystem, ensuring its growth and sustainability.” The conference thus offers a platform for envisioning what may emerge from the intersection of technology, imagination, knowledge, and culture, transforming this interaction into innovative ideas, works, and artistic practices.
Exploring Human Connections, Environment, and Technology
The conference’s theme, “Al Yah: Arts Connecting Place, Data, and Identity,” will frame discussions around issues related to humanity’s relationship with place, technology, environment, and identity, as well as the possibilities digital tools offer for rethinking artistic practices and creating new forms of expression and interaction within a multidisciplinary dialogue that unites art, science, and technology. The conference will focus on four main pillars: the “Weaving Digital Constellations” track, addressing art from an environmental responsibility perspective while enhancing awareness and adopting sustainable technological practices; the “Cosmic Dialogues” pillar, which will explore the impact of technology on human experience and its ethical and philosophical dimensions; the “Futures of Environment and Technology” track, emphasising practices that promote critical thinking about the future environment in relation to technological development; and finally, the “Interconnected Worlds” track, which examines the transformations technology brings to human life and the new horizons and possibilities it unveils for reimagining our vision of the future.
The International Conference on Digital and Emerging Arts is one of the most significant global events in this field, annually gathering artists, designers, researchers, academics, technicians, and curators from around the world to exchange knowledge and expertise, exploring the convergence of art, science, and technology while envisioning the trajectories of digital and emerging practices.
For more information, please visit the link: https://isea-2026.isea-international.org/
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