ISEA2026 Dubai Brings Digital Art and Ideas to Venues Across the City

Digital and emerging art is taking centre stage across Dubai from 6 to 15 November as the 31st International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art — ISEA2026 Dubai — unfolds under the theme “ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data and Identity”. Organised by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the event blends a city-wide artistic programme with an online academic forum, bringing together artists, researchers and practitioners from around the world.

The symposium uses a hybrid format: in-person exhibitions, performances and immersive experiences at more than 20 venues, alongside a virtual academic programme of keynote addresses, paper presentations, specialist panels and artist talks. According to Dubai Culture, the call for participation drew more than 1,000 artistic submissions, with over 100 artworks shortlisted, and more than 150 academic submissions were shortlisted. The full agenda includes over 140 academic papers, more than 40 artist talks and sessions, at least 15 workshops, more than 10 panel discussions, seven Eco Labs and four special-track exhibitions.

Venues across the city include Al Safa Art & Design Library, Etihad Museum, Kanvas and Foundry Gallery, with experiences at ARTE Museum, performances at TODA, and projection mapping at Al Wasl Dome. A special track titled “Evolving Calligraphy, Letter Art, Typography” — including a strand called “Calligraphy to Code” — looks at how letterforms and writing traditions are being reimagined through digital and computational media.

The academic side includes the New Media Art Summit, exploring how artistic practice is changing through digital networks, immersive environments, interactive media and artificial intelligence. Eco Labs examine the relationship between ecological systems, technology and artistic practice. The overall theme is organised into four academic tracks: Celestial Dialogues (art, technology and the cosmic imagination), Charting Constellations (mapping, networks, place and identity), Eco-Tech Futures (ecology, climate and technological responsibility) and Starlinked Worlds (AI, digital networks and virtual environments).

Maitha Ali Al Blooshi, Director of the Emerging Arts Department at Dubai Culture, said the international response shows Dubai’s ability to bring together creative minds in an environment that encourages innovation. She added that the event will help local talent learn, experiment and build connections with specialised networks, supporting the growth of the digital and emerging arts sector.