[ISEA2014] Introduction: ISEA2014 Conference Team – ISEA2014 Theme: LOCATION

Introductory Statement

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a location with exquisite contradictions. Its location not only provides a place with world renowned architecture, but also boasts its development along the waters, its original trading ground. The 20th International Symposium on Electronic Art weaved local UAE traditions and history into the global context of new media science, art and technology. ISEA2014’s over-arching theme of “Location” references the nature of where the UAE positions itself. It is a major transfer hub, a meeting place where dreams can happen, but greater yet, a place for innovation and change.
The symposium explored eight subthemes: Speculative Mediations; Technology, Science and Art: East Meets West; Emerging Economies/Emerging Identities; Nomadic Shifts; Digital Archaeology and Collaborative Spaces; Interlacing Worlds: Fiber and Sensory Mediation; Nomadic Highway/Bridging Media and Connecting Worlds/Linking Ideas. Themes were specifically chosen with both local importance and international relevance and the results continue to resonate both near and far. The subthemes framed the nomadic symposium that ranged in research questions, but were built with discussions on how we navigate place with breadth of community engagement and new technologies.
ISEA2014 was a unique and fruitful experience for presenters and attendees. Conference and keynote presentations, along with exhibitions, brought site-specific relevance, with a cross-over exchange of ideas, including student participation which made the location of Dubai unique. It was an opportunity to access a wide range of ideas that can contribute to future goals and development.

  • Thorsten Lomker, Conference Chair
  • Marta Ameri, Conference Co-Chair
  • Adina Hempel, Conference Co-Chair
  • Brad Moody, Conference Co-Chair