CHICAGO—SIGGRAPH 2020, the world’s leading computer graphics and interactive techniques conference, will present a special art program of the latest innovations in digital art online this summer. Selections include 13 virtual installations as part of the Art Gallery and 15 research advancements within the Art Papers program, including two award-winning juried projects.
Content is available on-demand through 27 October.
In addition to interaction with the artists during the virtual conference, the Leonardo journal — presented in partnership with the Art Papers and Art Gallery programs and published by The MIT Press — has released a special SIGGRAPH 2020 edition of its journal that spotlights the groundbreaking selections. Leonardo/ISAST is a global think tank that integrates transdisciplinary inquiry and creative practice to solve compelling problems, explore timeless mysteries, and shape a more excellent future. Claim a copy of this year’s issue at mitpressjournals.org.
“Despite the challenges that have come with planning a creative experience during a global pandemic, I am thrilled to showcase the important work that our team has selected. These artists deserve a platform to exhibit their thought-provoking ideas and we could not be happier to offer that,” said SIGGRAPH 2020 Art Papers Chair Andrés Burbano, of Universidad de los Andes.
Culled from over 250 submissions, choosing this year’s Art Gallery and Art Papers selections was no easy feat. Chosen work represents artistry from 13 countries, including the U.S., Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, China, Australia, and South Korea, among others. In addition to opportunities to engage with and review content on-demand, conference participants had the chance to view live sessions with the artists that started the week of 24 August.
Art award winners for SIGGRAPH 2020, the 47th conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques are:
BEST IN SHOW – Art Gallery
Cacophonic Choir
Hannah E. Wolfe, Colby College; Sölen Kiratli, Media Arts and Technology Program (MAT), University of California Santa Barbara; Alex John Bundy, Planetarium Music
“Cacophonic Choir,” an interactive art installation, addresses the ways that sexual assault survivors’ experiences are distorted by digital and mass media and its effect. The installation is composed of distributed agents in space that individually respond by becoming visually bright, semantically coherent, and sonically clear, revealing original testimonies of survivors. Read an interview with this team on the ACM SIGGRAPH Blog
https://blog.siggraph.org/2020/06/cacophonic-choir-the-sounds-of-survivor-stories.html/.
BEST IN SHOW – Art Papers
Enhanced Family Tree: Evolving Research and Expression
Fan Xiang, Shunshan Zhu, Zhigang Wang, Kevin Maher, Yi Liu, and Zhiqiang Liang, Tsinghua University; Yilin Zhu, Stanford University; Kaixi Chen, Beijing Yuguo Culture and Technology Ltd. Inc.
“Enhanced Family Tree” reimagines the possibilities of family trees with an evolving series of exhibits. Their new approach may reveal questionable relationships in genealogical records. Moreover, the authors’ use of an organic metaphor of a “tree” can be further extended, resulting in organic forms that stimulate the imagination.
“SIGGRAPH is not just a technical conference and it has been thrilling to work with my jury to identify the incredible projects you’ll find in our virtual exhibition. I encourage the art community to join us online and explore the artist’s work, re-investigating what would have been a public art exhibit through the lens of new media,” noted SIGGRAPH 2020 Art Gallery Chair Nik Apostolides, of Johns Hopkins University.
Virtual access to Art Gallery and Art Papers is open to Enhanced and Ultimate pass holders. Register for the conference at s2020.SIGGRAPH.org/register.
Image caption: The Song dynasty royal family in laser-etched crystal, 20x20x10cm. (© Fan Xiang. Photo: Yi Liu, 2019)