The Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) presents FutuRetro, a celebratory 18th edition and a five-day gathering in the heart of Athens at the historical landmark of Kotzia Square.
From the 25th – 29th of May, the building complex of notoshome and Kotzia Square will be revived to host an innovative exciting program with works from 12 categories: Video Art, Animation, Interactive Installations, Virtual and Augmented reality (VR/AR), Games, Digital Image, Web Art, Live Performances, Workshops, Talks and ADAF KIDS, a mini digital arts festival dedicated to children. This year ADAF is especially excited to present a curated program for the ADAF MUSIC category.
The theme, FutuRetro, focuses on science fiction, retrofuturism and futurology and aims to present the technological milestones of today through the eyes of the past and as a foreshadowing means for the future. Marking its third year as a Hybrid Festival, the online edition of the festival, ADAF ONLINE, will be launched in the fall of 2022 as an extension to the physical edition and in an effort to make the festival and its works accessible to a truly limitless, global audience.
The Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) is an annual international festival dedicated to exploring the relationship between art, science, and technology. Showcasing contemporary digital art forms from a diverse global community of artists and scientists, ADAF has been representing Greece internationally in digital arts since 2005 and is the first institution of its kind to be established in the region.
The Festival was originally founded as the Athens Video Art Festival but gradually began to include new art forms and constantly expands as global art and technology evolve. ADAF currently features the following 12 categories: Video Art, Animation, Web Art, Digital Image, Interactive Installations, Games, VR/AR/XR, Performance, Talks Workshops, Music and a special category dedicated to children and parents, ADAF KIDS. ADAF also specializes on events using cutting edge technologies including, AR applications, 360° experiences / immersive experiences, 3D Projection Mapping, Holograms, Light outdoor installations and AI artworks
With a loyal following and thousands of yearly visitors, ADAF strives to bring its audience closer to contemporary digital culture by creating unique experiences in exciting environments that inspire, inform, and motivate participation through an innovative and versatile program. ADAF nurtures a perpetual discussion between artists, scientists, experts and its audience, to contemplate, project and shape our future relationship with technology.
In an effort to further involve and educate its audience, ADAF curates an educational program for adults and children that includes exciting workshops, talks and master classes. Aside from the main festival, ADAF strongly advocates learning opportunities throughout the year with Academic presentations, partnerships with universities and specially designed courses and workshops, as well as educational events and parallel exhibitions.
The Festival, a true vector of exposure for its audience, continuously expands its network and cultivates bridges with local and international festivals, universities and institutions, creating a truly global network where knowledge, ideas and art can be exchanged.
Initiated in 2019 as a reaction to the global pandemic along with the Festival’s drive to make accessibility geographically limitless, ADAF has since developed into a Hybrid Festival and hosts ADAF ONLINE, a global online platform.
The Athens Digital Arts Festival traditionally takes place during spring in the historic city center of Athens, each time activating and reinventing city landmarks and spaces, engaging the local community and creating new paths where one can explore and experience the city in a new and unique way.