Introductory Statement

The 24th International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA2018) will be hosted in sub-Saharan
Africa for the very first time, thanks to Durban University of Technology (DUT), eThekwini
Municipality, KZN Convention Bureau, Innovate Durban and The Trinity Session. ISEA2018
presents a culmination of collective efforts from a range of individuals, across disciplines,
committed to electronic arts and design.
DUT’s Faculty of Arts and Design, the home of Digifest, is pleased to co-host ISEA2018. City
Campus, with its rich history, is itself an intersection of heritage, tradition, innovation and the
future, intersecting with highways and throughways, public and private spaces; immersed
in a confluence of cultures, communities and activities. Our inner–city university campus
provides an engaging space for experimental, innovative work from emerging digital artists,
and our Arts and Design Digital Festival (Digifest) provides a platform for engagement.
Digifest was approached to be involved in ISEA2018, to engage with international scholars
and practicing electronic artists, so as to enhance and grow our Durban festival. Rooted
in a University with direct links to industry and the city, Digifest is committed to providing
students with a platform to experiment and showcase their work. We are pleased to present
a selection of our interdisciplinary, collaborative Digifest-incubated projects at ISEA2018. Our
Digifest App and various design and layout contributions to ISEA2018 are all the work of
DUT students and graduates. We are pleased to have been selected as an ISEA2018 legacy
project and hope to draw on partnerships to consolidate and sustain our local festival.

• René Alicia Smith, PhD, Executive Dean: Faculty of Arts and Design, Durban University of Technology, ISEA2018 Academic Director and Digifest Director