12th Conference on Computation, Communication, Aesthetics & X

10–12 July Fabrica, Treviso, Italy

XCOAX 2024 xCoAx 2024 logo FABRICA

xCoAx explores the intersection where computational tools and media meet art and culture in the form of a multi-disciplinary enquiry on aesthetics, computation, communication and the elusive X factor that connects and affects them all.

The focus of xCoAx is on the unpredictable overlaps between creative freedom and algorithmic rules, between human nature and machine technology, aimed towards new directions in aesthetics.

xCoAx is a great chance for international audiences to exchange ideas in search of interdisciplinary synergies between computer scientists, artists, media practitioners, and theoreticians at the thresholds between digital arts and culture.

Since starting in 2013 in Bergamo, xCoAx has taken place in Porto, Glasgow, Bergamo again, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Graz, online, Coimbra, and Weimar. xCoAx 2024 will take place in Fabrica, the communication research centre of Benetton in Treviso, Italy.

Joanna Zylinska's keynote, 2023 Annet Dekker's keynote, 2023 Performances, 2022 Conference, 2022 Conference, 2022 Winnie Soon's keynote, 2022 Andreas Broeckmann's keynote, 2022 Conference, 2021 Špela Petrič's keynote, 2021 Yuk Hui's keynote, 2021 Performances, 2019 Luciana Parisi's keynote, 2019 Domenico Quaranta's keynote, 2019 Performances, 2019 Performances, 2018 Exhibition, 2018 Mario Klingemann, keynote speaker 2018 Pepe Vidal's keynote, 2018 Conference, 2018 Penousal Machado's keynote, 2017 Olia Lialina's keynote, 2017 Exhibition, 2017 Exhibition, 2017 Conference, 2016 Performances, 2016 Frieder Nake's keynote, 2016 Performances, 2015 Performances, 2015 William Latham's keynote, 2015 Performances, 2015 Conference, 2015 Conference, 2014 Exhibition, 2014 Olga Goriunova's keynote, 2014 Philip Galanter's work, exhibition, 2014 Exhibition, 2014 Alessandro Ludovico's keynote, 2013 Performances, 2013

Call for papers, artworks, performances

xCoAx 2024 calls for papers, artworks, performances and research works-in-progress by scholars, artists, performers and students working on any of its multi-disciplinary facets.

You are invited to submit theoretical, practical or experimental research work in the form of papers, artworks, and performances on a range of topics that includes but is not limited to the following:

Papers

Submit a paper (3,000 to 6,000 words, excluding references) following the formatting in the template for papers. Revision of papers will be double-blind. Please ensure the .pdf file is completely anonymised (i.e., it omits author-related information in the body of text or as explicit self-citations, notes and bibliography). Accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings, and authors will hold a 15-minute presentation at xCoAx 2024.

Artworks

Proposals should provide a clear description of the work in the form of a document including the following:

The document must follow the formatting in the template for artworks and performances. Revision of proposals will be single-blind. All accepted works will be part of the exhibition and featured on the xCoAx 2024 website, and the artists will hold a 5-minute presentation at xCoAx 2024. The proceedings will publish the abstract, the main text, and at least one featured image of the artwork provided by the authors.

Performances

Proposals should provide a clear description of the work in the form of a document including the following:

The document must follow the formatting in the template for artworks and performances. Revision of proposals will be single-blind. Accepted works will be part of the performance program and featured on the xCoAx 2024 website, and the authors will hold a 5-minute presentation at xCoAx 2024. The proceedings will publish the abstract, the main text, and at least one featured image of the performance provided by the authors.

Additional information and submission details

Important Dates

Call for the School of X

Following the success of its first edition in 2023, the School of X is back as part of xCoAx 2024.

The School of X is a virtual and physical space where PhD candidates are invited to submit a text on their current research project and/or artistic endeavour for the chance to exchange ideas, discussing theory and practice, give and receive feedback, both with fellow participants and with the School of X mentors: Angela Ferraiolo (Sarah Lawrence College), André Rangel (Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto), Caterina Moruzzi (University of Edinburgh), Luísa Ribas (Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Lisbon), Mario Verdicchio (Università degli Studi di Bergamo), Martin Zeilinger (Abertay University), Miguel Carvalhais (Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto).

Schedule

7 sessions online, every two weeks, Tuesdays 17:00-18:30 CET, starting April 9 2024; 1 session in person, at xCoAx 2024 in Treviso, on Wednesday, July 10 2024; Participation at xCoAx 2024 in Treviso, July 10-12 2024.

Topics of Interest

The pillar themes of xCoAx — Computation, Communication, Aesthetics, X — together with all the topics that are welcome at xCoAx, including but not limited to: Artificial Aesthetics, Artificial Intelligence & Creativity; Philosophy of Art, Philosophy of Computation; Ethics, Epistemology; Design, Visual Arts, Sound Art, Music, Performance; Interaction, Games; Generative Art.

How to Apply

Those interested in attending the School of X must submit their application through Microsoft CMT, following the xCoAx template for papers. The submission should contain the following: 1) a short bio (100 words) and 2) a text which describes and discusses the project they want to develop through the School of X. Depending on the kind of project, the submitted text can vary. Its content, scope, and length should match the following requirements in accordance with the chosen type:

General paper: text describing and discussing a research topic of choice, which can be a theme from the applicant’s PhD thesis or another topic they are currently engaging with. Word count: 2,000-3,000 words.

Technical paper: text detailing the method, procedure, and technical details of one of the applicant’s works or a technical topic. The text should discuss the aims and techniques of the applicant’s work in adequate detail to be understood and discussed during the School of X sessions. Word count: 1,500-2,500 words.

Position paper: text engaging with a debated topic in which the applicant describes and defends their position. Word count: 1,500-2,000 words.

Artistic writing: text illustrating a current artistic work of the applicant. The text should discuss the aims and techniques of the applicant’s work in adequate detail to be understood and discussed during the School of X’s sessions. Word count: 2,000-3,000 words.

The Program

The School of X program includes online discussion-based sessions in which successful applicants present their project and discuss it with the School of X’s tutors and with participating peers. The goal is for participants to use this feedback to improve their skills as critical thinkers and creators, shaping each proposal towards its full potential under the mentorship of the tutors and the peer review of other participants. The final versions of the projects will be presented at xCoAx 2024 during an open session dedicated to the School of X and published on a dedicated website after xCoAx 2024. Here is the website dedicated to the works presented at the School of X 2023: classof23.xcoax.org.

School of X Important dates

Registration fee

Applicants accepted on March 22, 2024, must register by April 12, 2024. The fee is € 200. Information on payment methods will be provided in due time. For any enquiries regarding the programme, please contact info@xcoax.org.

Conference Program

  • July 10: Conference opening, School of X, exhibition opening, proceedings launch.
  • July 11: Paper presentations, keynote, performances.
  • July 12: Paper presentations, artwork and performance presentations, keynote, closing event.

Keynote: Christa Sommerer

Portrait of Christa Sommerer

Christa Sommerer is an internationally renowned media artist, researcher and pioneer of interactive art. She worked at the IAMAS Academy in Gifu, Japan, the ATR Research Labs in Kyoto, Japan, the MIT CAVS in Cambridge US and the NCSA in Champaign-Urbana, IL, USA. In 2004 together with Laurent Mignonneau she set up the department for Interface Cultures in Linz, Austria. Sommerer held visiting professor positions at CAFA Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing, Tsukuba University and Aalborg University, Denmark. Together with Laurent Mignonneau she created around 40 interactive artworks shown in around 350 international exhibitions. They received numerous awards, including the Austrian State Art Award in the category media art. Between 2021 and 2024 their 30 years retrospective exhibition “The Artwork as a Living System,” curated by Karin Ohlenschläger is touring from the ZKM in Karlsruhe, to the OK Center in Linz, to the iMAL in Brussels and the Azkuna Zentroa in Bilbao. This exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive overview of their art works in the book “Christa Sommerer & Laurent Mignonneau — The Artwork as a Living System” edited by Karin Ohlenschläger, Peter Weibel and Alfred Weidinger. It was published in 2022 at the MIT Press, Leonardo Book series.

interface.ufg.ac.at/christa-laurent

Keynote: Francesca Franco

Portrait of Francesca Franco

Francesca Franco is a Venetian-born curator, producer and art historian based in the UK and Italy. She is Visiting Professor at Danube University Krems, where she teaches Media Art and Curatorial Practice. From 2019 to 2023, she was Co-Investigator on the AHRC-funded project “Documenting digital art: re-thinking histories and practices of documentation in the museum and beyond” at the University of Exeter. In 2022 she produced and curated Vera Molnár: Icône 2020, an exhibition centred on a new commission, “Icône 2020”, at the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. In 2017, she was curator-in-residence at the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa Venice, where she curated Algorithmic Signs, an exhibition that explored the history of pioneering generative art. The central theme of Francesca’s research is the history of art and technology and the pioneers of computer art. A major focus has been the history of the Venice Biennale culminating in a series of publications that have been translated into various languages. Her first solo-authored book, Generative Systems Art, was published by Routledge in 2018. Her second monograph, The Algorithmic Dimension, was published by Springer in 2022. Her forthcoming book on the history of computer art at the Venice Biennale will be published by Springer in 2024.

francescafranco.net

Registration

For each accepted submission, one author will have to register as below before April 19.

Co-authors of already registered authors and general audience can register up to the beginning of xCoAx 2024.

Travel

Treviso is located in the heart of the beautiful region of Veneto, Italy, less than 40km north of Venice.

A charming town full of canals and vaulted arcades with a long history dating back to the Roman Empire, Treviso is where Prosecco and Tiramisu originated from, so you know you are in for a treat.

However, Treviso is not only about food and drinks, here you can find the headquarters of world-renown brands like Sisley, Diadora, Lotto, Stefanel, and Benetton, whose communication research centre, Fabrica, is hosting xCoAx 2024.

Fabrica is located in Catena di Villorba in the municipality of Treviso, less than 10km north of the city center, in a 17th century villa restored and enhanced in the early 1990s, the very first European project of archistar Tadao Ando.

Here is how to get to xCoAx 2024:

detail of a map of Italy, showing the location of Treviso in relation to Mestre, Venezia and the routes described

Air

Route 1: fly to Venice Treviso airport (TSF) and then take bus A to Treviso railway station.

Route 2: fly to Venice airport (VCE) and then take bus 15 or Mestre Express Shuttle to Venezia Mestre railway station. There are trains from Venezia Mestre to Treviso every 15-20 minutes.

Rail

Route 3: if you are already in Venice because of the Art Biennale (running from June to November 2024), go to Venezia Santa Lucia station and take a train to Treviso. There are direct trains every 30 minutes, and trains with a change in Venezia Mestre every 15 minutes.

Route 4: if you fly to Milan there are high-speed direct trains to Venice every hour, and more frequent trains with a change in Verona. All trains stop in Venezia Mestre.

Ground

Route 5: once you are in Treviso, there is one last step to get to Fabrica. From the Treviso bus terminal there is bus 1 (direction: Villorba, stop: Postioma Talpon) every 20-30 minutes. You can also grab a cab (they accept card payments) to the address of Fabrica (“Via Postioma 54F, Catena di Villorba”, if you can manage this tongue-twister).

The xCoAx team is working with local organizers to give xCoAx participants bus transfers between a gathering point in Treviso and Fabrica during xCoAx 2024. Treviso is such a beautiful town, we recommend you to stay there and to use our bus transfer to go to xCoAx. We will keep you posted.

Committees

Scientific Committee

Organising Committee

Past Organisers

Proceedings

Editorial Board

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