The success of the ArtTech Forum 2021 in Istanbul gave us a strong desire to develop our activities and keep the discussion alive in between events.

This is how the idea of ArtTech Conversations was born.

We regularly invite international guest speakers, experts in the fields of technology and art, to meet with us and discuss our favorite topics, like NFTs, AI, entrepreneurship, XR in Performing Arts, etc.

 

Startbahn, Inc.

This first Conversation of 2022 (March 3rd) dived into applications of blockchain technology within art organizations and businesses. Our speakers from Startbahn were Taihei Shii, Founder & CEO, and Liz Luna, global strategy advisor.

They presented case studies from APAC with global applications. Engaging with session participants, they highlighted ways in which blockchain technology creates shared value for both commercial and noncommercial sides of the art industry.

 

 

ETH AI Center

On April 27th, we invited the ETH AI Center, the ETHZ central hub for artificial intelligence, which brings together researchers of AI foundations, applications, and implications across all departments. They foster research excellence, industry innovation, and AI entrepreneurship to promote trustworthy, accessible, and inclusive AI systems.

The theme of this second Conversation was Art & Artificial Intelligence. Our speakers from the AI Center ETHZ were Nora Al-Badri, a multi-disciplinary and conceptual media artist, and Adrian Notz, Curator of AI and Art.

 

 

Entrepreneurship

This 3rd Conversation, which happened on May 17th 2022, did not highlight a specific company but gathered different profiles to answer the question “What is cultural and creative entrepreneurship?”.

Our speakers addressed the subject from Asian and American points of view, as well as from a swiss start-up standpoint.

Here were the speakers for this third Conversation:

Brendan Ciecko, Founder & CEO of Cuseum
Ling GU, Head of Communications at Design Society
Carina Popovici, Co-Founder & CEO of Art Recognition

 

 

XR Technology & Dance

The Conversation “XR Technology & Dance, what’s next?” (June 7th) was initiated by Fondazione Nazionale della Danza / Aterballetto.

Our speakers discussed various angles and trends on new technologies used in dance performances, especially since Covid. They also addressed the audience’s experience, how new technologies are welcomed in this specific form of art, and the reactions observed.

Here were the speakers for this 4th Conversation:

Fabio Ferretti Project Manager, Special Projects & Development at Fondazione Nazionale della Danza / Aterballetto

Daniel Strutt, Lecturer in the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London

 

 

Swissnex in Japan – A dive into Japan’s vibrant XR and gaming ecosystem

Japan stands as one of the world’s largest gaming markets, magnetizing companies globally seeking to thrive in its dynamic landscape. During this session, international founders of VR/AR and gaming companies will share their experiences navigating Japan’s gaming industry.

Our objective is to foster knowledge-sharing, spark insightful discussions, and catalyze collaborations among professionals exploring business opportunities within Japan’s creative industry.

Here were the speakers for this 5th Conversation:

Hello xLAB (Japan), Dwayne Grech, CEO & Co-Founder

DANGEN Entertainment (Japan), Dan Stern, Scholar of the First Deal; Developer Relations

SimulumiS (Japan), Farid Ben Amor, Media Entrepreneur

PatchXR (Switzerland), Mélodie Mousset, Co-Founder

David Javet, Co-Founder, GameLab, University of Lausanne