FUTURE CURRENTS: a preview into MUTEK Forum 2023

MUTEK Forum, the annual conference that investigates digital art, extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI) and the electronic music industry, is excited to unveil a preview of its ninth edition, which will take place from August 22nd to August 25th at The 7 Fingers in Montréal, Canada.

Montréal, Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 – MUTEK Forum, the annual conference that investigates digital art, extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI) and the electronic music industry, is excited to unveil a preview of its ninth edition, which will take place from August 22nd to August 25th at The 7 Fingers in Montréal, Canada.

Through the vision of Future Currents, this year’s Forum will explore both the opportunities and tensions that emerging technologies and new forms of creation methodologies present. Thought-provoking keynotes, interactive roundtables, and practical workshops delve into themes of data, surveillance and design, as well as digital art, healing, and mental health. Matters of diversity, accessibility, and inclusion within artistic practice, and the relationship between technology, culture, and the ecological crisis will also be explored throughout the week. The Forum will also feature a handful of activities aligned with MUTEK's Future of Festivals initiative, which brings together an international cohort of festival directors and curators to collectively envision future formats of digital art gatherings.

Among the featured speakers are renowned architect, accoladed designer and critical maker Behnaz Farahi, examining the relationship between the human gaze, surveillance and bias with a performative lecture, as well as Michael Running Wolf, founder of Indigenous in AI and Technical Lead of Mila’s First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR) Initiative, who will participate in a discussion on the ethics and governance surrounding generative AI. Additionally, XR experts will present boundary-pushing projects, including director and creative technologist Winslow Porter with Forager, a multi-sensory immersive fungi experience, which debuted at SXSW earlier this year, to then dive into the specific matters of marketing and distribution for the format.

This year’s music industry-focused programming will feature exciting collaborations with Resident Advisor and the decentralized global creative community Refraction, as well as a unique interactive AI activity designed in concert with Water & Music, a research and intelligence network for the music business. Founder of DJs for Climate Action and one-half of production duo Soul Clap Eli Goldstein will also be joining the Forum to present research findings for developing a framework for a climate pledge for the electronic music industry.

Industry-relevant partnerships with notable local institutions from the digital arts industry will also be highlighted in MUTEK Forum’s programming, notably including PHI Centre and the Société des arts technologiques (SAT). The MUTEK Market will also return, inviting representatives from some of the world’s most revered festivals and digital arts establishments to Montreal.

The complete Forum programme will be released soon. Forum Passports are available at forum.mutek.org, at the reduced price of 150$ CAD (taxes and fees included) until May 31st.

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MUTEK would like to thank its partners, who play a key role in the maintenance and development of its activities and have provided particular support towards the production of the Forum.

The Government of Québec, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the ministère du Tourisme du Québec, the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine du gouvernement du Québec, the ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, the City of Montréal, FACTOR and Canada’s private radio broadcasters, the Department of Canadian Heritage, Musicaction, and Tourisme Montréal.