Ars Electronica 2020 Goes Online with Global Digital Communities

The 2020 Ars Electronica festival was held almost entirely online, themed 'In Kepler's Garden, a Journey Mapping the New World.' The festival connected 120 entities from digital centers, university labs, and creative organizations worldwide, each presenting work from their home countries via telematic links. The Golden Nica awards followed a political line: 'Digital Communities' went to Hong Kong protest movement, represented by Eric Siu and Joel Kwong's collage 'Be Water,' referencing Bruce Lee. Austrian artist Valie Export received an award as a feminist media art pioneer. The Ars Electronica Center facade displayed 'Black Lives Matter' in giant letters. Mario Klingemann's 'Appropriate Response' at OK Center used AI to generate aphoristic messages in a confessional booth. Dutch artists Sissel Marie Tonn and Jonathan Reus presented research on human-induced earthquakes in Groningen, featuring an Intimate Earthquake Archive and a tactile vest. The festival itself was deemed the most important work, demonstrating capacity to mobilize diverse countries and create synergies amid the pandemic and political crisis, providing pedagogical coordinates for redefining digital media.