As we move further into the age of AI and digital innovation, the Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) invites artists to explore the theme Simulacra—a concept that questions the intersection of reality, representation, and hyperreality in the modern world. In an era dominated by digital technologies and artificial intelligence, we find ourselves questioning the very nature of truth and perception.
Simulacra refers to copies or simulations that no longer have an original. The idea, introduced by philosopher Jean Baudrillard, outlines four stages of simulation:
- A faithful copy of the original.
- A perversion of reality.
- A pretense of reality, claiming to represent truth without an original.
- Pure simulation, where the copy no longer relates to any reality.
This concept challenges us to think about how digital replicas shape our identities, cultures, and experiences. In a world where images often precede reality, we must ask: are we entering an era where simulations dominate our understanding of the world? How do digital technologies—from AI to virtual worlds—reshape how we perceive ourselves and the world around us?
For the 21st edition of ADAF, we invite artists to push the boundaries of digital creativity, exploring themes of hyperreality, virtuality, and the uncanny. We are seeking works that delve into the complex relationship between the original and the replica, the physical and the digital, the authentic and the artificial. Your work could explore how digital constructs influence our social interactions, self-perception, and collective memory. Whether through immersive experiences, virtual environments, or re-imagined realities, we want to see how you engage with the digital age.
ADAF 2024 will showcase 12 categories of digital creativity:
- Video Art
- Animation
- Installations
- Performances
- Music
- AR/VR/XR
- Workshops
- Talks
- Webart
- Digital Image
- Games
- ADAF Kids
We encourage you to submit thought-provoking, visually captivating works that challenge our perception of reality and engage with the digital frontier. Let’s come together to create a festival experience that blurs the lines between the physical and the digital, the real and the simulated.
Submit by December 15th, 2024.
Join us at ADAF 2024 and help shape a vision of the future where art, technology, and imagination collide.
