The Athens Digital Arts Festival, the first and largest international platform for digital arts in Greece, opens today, Thursday, May 16 at 17:00, its 20th anniversary event, ADAF 2024: TECHNO(S)CENE, and promises the most immersive experience of the year.
With 350 works by 305 artists from 76 countries, the 20th The Athens Digital Arts Festival celebrates two decades of creativity and digital innovation in contemporary art, honoring the rich history of digital art and the festival while simultaneously focusing on the future of digital culture. This year’s event explores the profound impact of technology on our lives, recognizing it not just as a tool but as a pervasive force shaping our perceptions, creative expressions, and very existence.
From May 16 to 26, 2024, the Former Santaroza Courthouse and the Justice Square will transform into a vibrant stage of artistic expression and technological experimentation, hosting the 20th The Athens Digital Arts Festival under the title “TECHNO(S)CENE.” Additionally, on May 24 and 25, ADAF will present the renowned German theater group Rimini Protokoll at the Rex Theater of the National Theatre.
In this year’s anniversary event, you will be immersed for eleven days in a multifaceted exhibition featuring interactive installations, video art, animation, VR/AR/XR, web art, digital image and video mapping, and an extensive program of live actions including performances, concerts, workshops, talks, special tributes, screenings from the world’s major festivals, and collaborations with academic institutions from Greece and abroad. Simultaneously, the festival’s young friends will have the opportunity to experience ADAF Kids, a special category designed specifically for children that includes interactive installations, animation screenings, and workshops.
The festival’s opening is marked by the premiere of the documentary “20 Years Athens Digital Arts Festival” in conjunction with a series of screenings, talks, mapping projections, and music performances.
20th Athens Digital Arts Festival “TECHNO(S)CENE”: Opening Program
- 17:20 SCREENING | FOTW | Data, Bodies, Space | Ars Electronica Animation Festival (AT) | 48 min | SCREENING ROOM | 1st Floor
- 18:00 TALK | Guillaume Marmin | FR | WORKSHOPS & TALKS ROOM | 1st Floor
- 18:10 SCREENING | Video Art: Special Screenings | Enter the Techno(s)cene | Greek Subs | 105 min | SCREENING ROOM | 1st Floor
- 19:00 TALK | Director of Exhibition and Collection of SKVAF | Shigeko Kubota Video Art Foundation | Reid Ballard (US) | 60 min | WORKSHOPS & TALKS ROOM | 1st Floor
- 19:55 SCREENING | FOTW | Data, Bodies, Space | Ars Electronica Animation Festival (AT) | 48 min | SCREENING ROOM | 1st Floor
- 20:00 TALK | Untold Studio | UK | 60 min | WORKSHOPS & TALKS ROOM | 1st Floor
- 20:45 SCREENING | Video Art: Special Screenings | Enter the Techno(s)cene – English Subs | 105 min | SCREENING ROOM | 1st Floor
- 20:00 DOCUMENTARY SCREENING | ADAF 20 YRS DOCUMENTARY | Santaroza Courtyard
- 21:00 MUSIC | Pénte | Flugen (Maya Aghniadis) | LB, GR | 45 min | Santaroza Courtyard
- 22:00 MUSIC | Juno Live | Juno | GR | 45 min | Santaroza Courtyard
- 23:00 MAPPING | Santarosa Video Mapping Contest | Santaroza Facade
ADAF – Ilias Chatzichristodoulou: The Founder and Director of the Festival Talks About the Event
“We are excited to present such a diverse array of digital works to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ADAF,” says Ilias Chatzichristodoulou, founder and director of the festival. “ADAF is not just a festival; it is a testament to the transformative power of digital art and its ability to create immersive, almost magical experiences that challenge our beliefs, inspire us, and make us imagine a different future. We invite the residents and visitors of the city to join this unique experience and celebrate with us the era of digital revolution on the ‘stage’ of the 20th Athens Digital Arts Festival.”
