Festival X

Alserkal Avenue, in collaboration with Festival X, presents a transformative experience of a convergence of art and technology, from 7-9 October 2022.⁠
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An inspirational exhibition, series of workshops, performances and talks will be spread across 3 locations in Alserkal Avenue - Concrete, Jossa (WH45), and Warehouse 46. ⁠

About Festival X

This year marks the inception of an annual event, which aims to bring together captivating minds combining all three domains in workshops, talks, performances and an exhibition.

Festival X is intended to be an educative space that illustrates, discusses, and advances the potentials of cross-pollination between different artistic and scientific practices that hold important opportunities to shape our future. It is meant to present unconventional thoughts and strategies to initiate conversation and spark explorative curiosity – among stakeholders, experts, and interested visitors alike. A further central goal of this inaugural edition is to lay the foundation for a lasting and continuously evolving regional community in the field, which enables knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration on both a national and international level. We are confident that conflating intellectual capacities through this platform will bring forth intriguing suggestions for global issues in the years to come. Hence, raising the awareness of local artists, scientists, tech experts, and innovators, who want to get involved, is particularly crucial for our endeavor.

Exhibition
Free | Concrete
3PM-10PM on 7 October and 11AM-10PM on 8 & 9 October 2022

Media art is a vital component for Festival X due to its incredible versatility and disruptive, forward-thinking force that carries the transgression of disciplines at its heart. Being a relatively new art form allows it the right amount of nimbleness and freedom to quickly incorporate latest societal as well as technological developments in its artistic practices. In the process, media art draws upon various areas of expertise, methodic skill sets, cultural influences, and modes of thinking to explore alternative viewpoints and uncover unexpected possibilities. As a laboratory for safe experimentation, it scrutinizes, envisions and probes our future in multiple ways, for example regarding the human relation with reality, technology, nature, or outer space. In this sense, it deserves to be called “the art of our time” that is deeply invested in helping to create a better, sustainable society.

The first exhibition of Festival X at the stunning Alserkal venue features several pieces of excellence by internationally renowned artists and serves an essential purpose: epitomizing the pioneering, galvanizing, and boundary crossing spirit of media art to give an inspiring impulse for the evolution of a community here in Dubai. The artworks were specifically selected with the aspiration to convey an idea of the immense diversity within the field on the one hand, and to emphasize the vast capabilities lying at the crossroads of Art, Science, and Technology on the other. Since education, transdisciplinarity, and knowledge transfer play a key role for the mission of Festival X, the exhibition will be accompanied by artist talks where visitors can learn more about their academic backgrounds, active research projects, and creative processes.

View Exhibition Details

Workshops
Registration Required

Hands-on workshops instructed by participating artists, in the fields of robotics and satellite data, with an inclusive outline welcoming all enthusiasts.

Workshop 1
From Kinematics To Conversational Interaction
Things Your Parents Didn't Tell You About Robots
Jossa by Alserkal
Register

Workshop 2
Why We Should Talk About Satellites
From Sputnik To Starlink
Warehouse 46
Register

Shows
Tickets Required | Warehouse 46

Algorave India
Abhinay Khoparzi

Algorave India Ft. Hosny
Hosny

Ravel Landscapes
Natan Sinigaglia

Orbits
Quadrature

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Talks
Warehouse 46

8 October | How to Develop a Community From Scratch
9 October | The Creative Process, Education, and Technology

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