Welcome to MUTEK Forum
An international marketplace shaping the future of digital culture
Celebrating its 10th anniversary from August 20th to August 23rd, MUTEK Forum took over the iconic Monument-National and the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT) in Tio'tia:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal to gather artists, researchers, technology professionals, digital experts, and innovators.
What does it mean to be human in a hyperconnected world? Under the theme Utopia or Oblivion: Crafting Human-Centered Technological Futures, this edition strives to inspire new collective reflections on the shifting role of technology in current sociocultural transformations. Expect thought-provoking keynotes, interactive panels, exciting hands-on workshops, generative AI film screenings and abundant networking opportunities, with a provocative lineup of 90 speakers ranging from the fields of music, technology, ecology, media art, gaming, architecture, and design.
Immersive talks, screenings, presentations, and workshops that craft a human-centered technological future
The 10th edition of the MUTEK Forum dedicated each day to a key track of digital creativity – Into the Wild: Towards AI Ecologies on Tuesday August 20th, Converging Realities: Hybrid Utopias in Immersive Technology on Wednesday August 21st, The Human Connection: New Forms of Storytelling in Digital Art and Gaming on Thursday August 22nd, and Resonant Futures: Shaping a More Equitable Future in Music and Technology on Friday August 23rd.
Pushing (and challenging) the boundaries of artificial intelligence, the MUTEK Forum sparked intersectional discussions on how to create a more ecological and ethical future for generative AI in the digital arts. A compelling session by The MIT Climate Machine on igniting climate change action through AI and art was followed by interactive sessions on responsible AI and co-creativity, inviting experts to the stage from Ubisoft, Google, Encode Justice, Hexagram, and many more. The day-long Wilding AI Lab featured talks, performances, and a makers fair. A discussion with Abundant Intelligences at the intersection of neuroscience, art, AI, and Indigenous Knowledge Systems awaits you.
Presented by the Canada Media Fund (CMF), the MUTEK Forum hosted the annual XR Salon, MUTEK’s annual gathering for immersive content production professionals, in addition to the iX Symposium on immersive experiences. Sessions inside the Society for Arts and Technology’s immersive modular theatre explored the future of spatial computing, while activities at Monument-National, presented by the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO), delved into Indigenous methodologies in XR. The MUTEK Forum spotlight gaming for the first time, recognizing Montreal's international role in the industry. In collaboration with Ubisoft, the Forum spread the local gaming studio’s perspective across panels and workshops, while EA Motive present a session on accessibility and gaming.
Explore collaborative, equitable music ecosystems with sessions shaping the industry's future. FEMINAE NOX presented dynamic activities, including discussions on reclaiming electronic music and a workshop on brand management with ATC Management’s Fabienne Leys. Hands on workshops and masterclasses on XR distribution, spatial audio, worldbuilding, music publishing, and gaming deepen participants' expertise within the immersive art landscape.
Make meaningful connections in digital creativity with networking events hosted by the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), TAIT, the Society for Arts and Technology, Xn Québec, La Piscine, and many more.
MUTEK Market + Incubator
Returning for its 5th edition, the MUTEK Market has selected 20 Canadian artists who will benefit from an especially designed career development program, as well as meetings with international buyers throughout the Festival and Forum.
To mark its 25th anniversary, MUTEK was proud to launch its new Incubator initiative, which fosters the professionalization of the next generation of artists with personalized and specialized accompaniment. The MUTEK Incubator will host 10 emerging Canadian artists and will run for 4 months, from June to September 2024.
This year, the Market hosted representatives from 130 international festivals and cultural institutions including NODE Festival (Germany), Atlas V, Primavera, MUTEK.MX, WOS Festival, Lunchmeat, Sonar+D, HEK (House of Electronic Arts), Future Fantastic Festival, (India) and many more.
Are you an industry professional and interested in joining the MUTEK Market? Contact virtualmarket@mutek.org for more information.
Future Festivals Summit
Kicking-off the festivities of MUTEK’s 25th anniversary on Monday, August 19th, the Future Festivals Summit will gather more than 100 local and international festival stakeholders – organizers, artists and audiences – in Montréal, Québec to explore innovative visions for the shaping of multidisciplinary arts and music festivals. The Summit presents the culmination of a years-worth of innovation around future-proofing festival-making practices by the Future Festivals think tank, a consortium of festivals from Québec and the rest of Canada, Mexico and Germany.
Partners
MUTEK would like to thank its partners, who play a key role in the maintenance and development of its activities and have provided particular support towards the production of the Forum.
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Canada Council for the Arts, Ville de Montréal, Conseil des arts de Montréal, FACTOR and Canada’s private radio broadcasters, the Department of Canadian Heritage, Musicaction, Keychange, Tourisme Montréal, Canada Media Fund (CMF), Indigenous Screen Office, Ubisoft, Derivative (TouchDesigner), Xn Québec, Applied AI Institute (Concordia University), Milieux Institute (Concordia University), Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), NAD-UQAC, SYNTHÈSE, Hexagram, TAIT, EA Motive, FEMINAE NOX, Vino Disco, Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), CURRENT, Hotel Monville, Dieu du Ciel!, EarthPercent, Composite, Abundant Intelligences, MUSICMOTION, La Piscine, SOCAN, Pathwaves (Envision Management), Encode Justice Canada, Sporobole and Moment Factory.
