The 3rd Upgrade! International meeting”Chain Reaction” takes the form of a city-wide digital art and networked culture festival including exhibitions, screenings, live local and streamed performances and a program of critical and active lectures and workshops exploring numerous facets in the field of digital art. Chain Reaction brings together artists, curators and art producers from more than 20 cities worldwide (Asia, Canada, Europe, North America, South America, South Africa, New Zealand).
The artistic program shows current tendencies in the use of hardware and software development for artistic means. The artists presented here are the emergent creative force on the international new media art scene. Some of the works have been part of other exhibitions and festivals, and others have been created exclusively for this event. One of the dominant principles that have emerged in this collection of works is the blurring of the boundaries between art, cultures, technology and physical surroundings. This blurring is not about fading out; it is about illuminating and distributing new kinds of practices. It is about multiple modes of participating, navigating and deconstructing.
Chain Reaction explores issues of cultural development and growth in the local region as well as within digital networks. Exhibiting works and presentations from over 20 cities across the world, the organizers expect this event to be a catalyst for dialog, future collaborations and new cultural understanding.
The meeting theme “Chain Reaction” illustrates the network itself, the way it works and functions, correlates and interacts. The Upgrade!International started as a creative spark that gradually grew into an international group of nodes influencing each other continually through permanent communication.
The artistic program comprises 6 parts and these events will take place in different cultural spaces in the city centre. The vibrancy created by having the event happening throughout the city also serves to increase the opportunity for dialogue and place-making, letting the city and its people become part of the festival.