The International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art is an annual (these days) symposium which is put on by ISEA International (formerly Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts) and is hosted in various parts of the world. Here’s more about the ISEA International from its About (Mission) webpage,
Mission ISEA International is an international non-profit organisation fostering interdisciplinary discussion and knowledge exchange among culturally diverse organisations and individuals working at the intersection of art, science, and technology.
Main Activity The organisation’s main activity is the International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art (ISEA), an annual symposium that contributes to knowledge in the fields of art, science, and technology; supports emerging approaches to research and practice on complex and relevant topics; generates knowledge and understanding from interdisciplinary and/or cross-sector perspectives by bringing together diverse communities of art practitioners and scholars. The international symposium provides an academic and artistic forum, including a conference and a wide array of exhibitions, presentations, performances, and public events. Each year, the symposium is held in a different country with the aim of encouraging and including diverse perspectives, and to serve as a cultural bridge between local and international communities of artists and researchers. The ISEA Board of Directors advises and guides the Host Organisations producing each ISEA edition.
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The location for ISEA 2025: some thoughts
The May 23 – 29, 2025 ISEA Symposium is being held in Korea (or South Korea), a location that has been experiencing some political upheaval as have many, many parts of the world. For example, there is a great deal of disquiet here in Canada regarding travel to the US (see April 10, 2025 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s [CBC] news online article by Sophia Harris “Canadian travel to the U.S. has plummeted. One reason why: fear“).
While there have been concerning events in Korea, the situation overall seems to have calmed down.
For anyone who’s familiar with the type of protests held in the US and to a lesser extent in Canada, this description of wandering into a recent protest in South Korea is revelatory, from a March 18, 2025 posting by Canadian gossip columnist, Elaine Lui (Lainey of laineygossip.com), Note: A link has been removed,
… Now that I’m actually in Korea, my feeds are dominated by K-entertainment news. And political news…that does not involve the person dominating the news in the west!
On Saturday [March 15, 2025] we came out of the subway and accidently [sic] joined a protest. The Constitutional Court of Korea is currently deliberating the case of President Yoon Suk Yeol. On Saturday protestors against the president took over city streets calling for his removal. There was also a rally held by his supporters and between the two events, the roads were jammed, the trains were packed, and the police were out in full force. But at no time in the three hours that we spent in that area did we feel a threat to our personal safety. It was a surreal thing to witness as a foreigner after all these years of American-dominated news coverage. According to The Korea Herald, the Court is is expected to deliver its ruling some time this week.
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The ruling from the Constitutional Court of Korea took a little longer than expected but it has now been made, from an April 3, 2025 CBC news online article by Murray Brewster,
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has formally upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following an aborted attempt to declare martial law late last year [2024].
It is a move that will trigger a new round of elections and deepen the political divide in one the region’s more vibrant democracies. South Korea must hold an election within two months.
After deliberating since January, the court issued its unanimous ruling Friday in a nationally broadcast event that saw many ordinary Koreans pause to hear the judgment on Yoon’s political fate.
The justices said Yoon violated the basic rights of the people by declaring martial law.
“You’re witnessing the miracle of democracy in Korea with the ruling of the constitutional court,” Siheung Mayor Lim Byung-taek told a gathering of journalists visiting the west coast city as part of the World Journalists Conference.
Yoon, a staunch conservative, was impeached in December [2024] by the country’s National Assembly, which is controlled by the liberal opposition.
He ordered the deployment of hundreds of troops and police officers to the assembly after declaring martial law on Dec. 3 [2024]
Yoon said the decision was intended to maintain order, but subsequently some military and civilian officials testified the president had ordered them to drag out lawmakers to frustrate a floor vote on his decree and detain his political opponents.
In his defence, Yoon claimed that he didn’t intend to keep the country under martial law for very long, and he only wanted to highlight what he called the “wickedness” of the Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda.
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On Friday, police mobilized an overwhelming presence to prevent clashes and possible acts of vandalism, arson and assault.
There were both pro- and anti-impeachment demonstrations on the streets of Seoul following the ruling, but no violence was reported.
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ISEA theme, ‘동동 (憧憧, Dong-Dong): Creators’ Universe’, May 23 – 29, 2025 in Seoul
I was hoping to find a video with examples of some of what visitors to ISEA 2025 might experience but the organizers had decided on a more minimalist approach. Happily, I found this, from the About/Theme webpage,
The ISEA2025 theme, ‘동동 (憧憧, Dong-Dong): Creators’ Universe’, aspires to transcend the harsh realities of conflict and antagonism, initiating a global wave of unity sparked by a newfound allure. Through the words of the legendary priestess Diotima, Socrates described love as the act of keeping something good within oneself forever, the giving birth to beauty. This “giving birth” or “creation” elevates humanity from a mundane existence to an eternal state. For this God-Man, boundaries become meaningless, replaced by the limitless possibilities of consciousness manifesting in various forms within the quantum realm.
The overarching theme of ISEA2025, ‘Dong-Dong’ is drawn from the phrase “Dong-Dong-Wang-Rae, Bung-Jong-E-Sa (憧憧往來 朋從爾思)” in the ancient Eastern philosophical text, I Ching (Book of Changes, 易經). This theme resonates with this universal life force of love. The imagery of individuals moving toward one another with longing underscores our increasingly fragmented existence, while the ongoing conflicts and devastations around the globe remind us of the ancient wisdom that says it is good to be together. The juxtaposition of global crises with our dazzling technological advancements compels us to reflect on the values that underpin our society today.
ISEA2025 endeavors to explore a new worldview that transcends the recurring theme of posthumanism in contemporary art, as well as the divisions between East and West, art and science, materiality and spirituality, and technology and humanity. Embodying the future envisioned by transnational artist Nam June Paik, our generation is privileged to bridge the disconnected and to embrace the spontaneity and serendipity that emerge from the pursuit of relationship and solidarity. Seoul, a city that epitomises the fusion of tradition and modernity, serves as the ideal platform for such creative exchanges. Its geopolitical significance as the capital of a divided nation further amplifies the meaning of ‘Dong-Dong.’
Art has historically illuminated human experience through its creation of timeless beauty. With the consciousness and the universe of its exalted creators blossoming through technology, we can transcend material and social barriers to aspire higher. May the childlike ‘Dong-Dong’ within our minds generate beautiful waves in our tumultuous reality, awakening the creator spirit in all of us.
The creators’ universe belongs to all who ‘Dong-Dong.’
We propose four Creators’ Imperatives for all participants of ISEA2025. Each creator is encouraged to embrace the symposium’s main theme, Dong-Dong, by adhering to these guidelines.
Entice (홀려라) | Captivate the Heart
Create experiences and narratives that deeply resonate on an emotional level, fostering genuine interest and engagement.
Entangle (엮어라) | Foster Mutual Resemblance
Encourage collaboration and cross-disciplinary interactions, allowing different perspectives to merge and evolve into innovative concepts and solutions.
Expand (펼쳐라) | Broaden Horizons
Open platforms for diverse participation, encouraging contributions from various entities, including humans and the universe, to foster a rich tapestry of creative output.
Establish (세워라) | Affirm Inter-connectedness
Develop systems and structures that highlight and support the connectivity of different components, ensuring a cohesive and sustainable growth path. Recognise Dong-Dong as a potential gateway to achieving holistic inter-connectedness.
To guide academic and artistic submissions for ISEA2025, the following sub-themes have been developed to explore ideas pertaining to Dong-Dong and the Creators’ Imperatives of ISEA2025, and to connect with the ongoing conversations, research, and intellectual inquiry within the ISEA community.
We invite varied approaches and methodologies that resonate with the notion of Dong-Dong and the Creators’ Imperatives of ISEA2025, and urge participants to explore the intersections of art, technology, and culture while embracing the interconnected actions of enticing, entangling, expanding, and establishing.
Digital Heritage
We recall themes of mutual attraction and inclusivity, anticipating creative reinterpretations of tradition. Imagination transcending boundaries will connect traditional culture with modern technology, suggesting new directions for a sustainable future. We aim for a space open to endless combinations and innovations, blending mythical imagination with contemporary advancements.
※ Special Track 1 : 5th Summit on New Media Art Archiving
As part of Digital Heritage, the 5th Summit on New Media Art Archiving will take place, inviting scholars, practitioners, and archivists to engage in discussions that advance the preservation and dissemination of media art. This event will explore innovative reinterpretations of tradition and promote sustainable practices in both physical and digital archiving.
Related Research Areas
History and Philosophy, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Speculative Design, Tangible Legacy, Technological Singularity, DB Collect, Digital Archive, Methodology of Collecting and Archiving Media Art, New Media Art Preservation, Online and Physical Archiving, History of Digital Culture
Techno-Human
As technology advances beyond human cognition, it is crucial to reflect on the beliefs and values driving this progress. We welcome works exploring new life phenomena, evolving human identity through technology, the future of techno-humanity, and the changing Earth environment, fostering imagination, contemplation, and critique.
※ Special Track 2 : Barriers and Alienation in Art X Tech Education
Special session for Techno-Human, we will hold the Barriers and Alienation in Art X Tech Education. Amidst the hype cycle of countless technologies, we are curious about the realities faced by educators, artists, scientists, and practitioners involved in art education mediated by technology. We encourage participants to share their experiences from educational settings that utilize a range of technologies, from high-tech to low-tech, and explore ways to move forward together.
Nam June Paik asserted that “the role of an artist is to contemplate the future.” By blending social imagination with artistic inspiration, creators can envision new future cities, particularly Seoul at ISEA2025. Inspired by the vision of a future city at the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair we have adopted the theme ‘Neo Futurama’ for our exploration, seeking to reveal the possible developments of Seoul’s future. Our focus centres on Seoul in the year 2050, a time anticipated to be characterised by artificial intelligence and hyper-convergence. This year is also marked by the technological ‘Singularity,’ as postulated by Ray Kurzweil. We invite creators, especially future generations, to actively envision and propose the cities they aspire to see in the future.
Related Research Areas
Blockchain, Urban Media, Eastern Philosophies, Alternative Cities, Artificial Intelligence, Social Issues, Ecological Future, Collective Action, New Matter & Material, Future Transportation, Future Lifestyle, Singularity
Space Creative & The Stars
Space and celestial bodies have symbolised humanity’s yearning and dreams (동동, 憧憧, Dong-Dong) throughout history and across cultures; The jade rabbit Oktokki that lives on the moon in Korean mythology and Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) are just two of the beloved imagined figures embodying our cosmic sense of wonder. Space, the domain of celestial bodies and the stars, means both the physical expanse that encloses all tangible things and the ‘theatre of mind’ on which ideas and concepts are born and fostered. Space is therefore the enabler of the existence and the transformations of all creations– realisations of human desire and imagination– natural or manmade. Through the Space Creative & The Stars initiative, ISEA2025 aims to explore the varied senses of ‘space’ in creation–outer, literary, symbolic, urban, social, mental, physical, to name a few possibilities. We invite the global thinkers to build together the universe of Dong-Dong, a new home to ‘planetary thinking’ for the fate of humanity.
※ Special Track 3 : Nam June Paik – Live Science Fiction Movie
As part of Space Creative & The Stars, “Nam June Paik – Live Science Fiction Movie” will also take place, inviting scholars, researchers, and artists to engage in discussions that extend Nam June Paik’s philosophy and art. This event proposed by Nam June Paik Art Center will explore innovative ‘Live Science Fiction Movies’ inspired by Paik’s visionary ideas, continuing to challenge our perceptions of space and expand our imagination on this planet.
Related Research Areas
Space Science, Astronomy, Cosmic Web, Architecture and Spatialization, Spatial Music and Graphics, Science Fiction, Augmented/Virtual Reality and Metaverse, Social Constructs, Cognitive Science, Complex Systems, Planetary Thinking and Futurology
It looks pretty exciting to me. Should you be interested in going and haven’t already registered, they’ve extended Early Bird Registration to April 25, 2025 (KST). For those of us in Canada, I believe that Korea is across the International Dateline, which means you have until April 24, 2025. You can register early here; the registration fees are listed in Korean currency only.
