ICIDS 2021 Art Exhibition – Curatorial theme: [Re|Dis]Connection The ICIDS 2021 Art Exhibition provides a platform for artists, makers and creators to explore interactive storytelling from the perspective of a particular curatorial theme: [Re|Dis]Connection Please note that the curatorial theme is intended to inspire, not constrain, and will be developed further to accommodate the accepted works. As the world attempts to recover from a global pandemic, issues of disconnection and reconnection are at the forefront of many people’s mind. The horrors (and joys) of being disconnected from the wider world, and the anticipation (or anxiety) around reconnecting with family, loved ones and society at large.These concepts relate to interactive narratives not only in terms of theme, but also methodologies, structures and modalities. This exhibition encourages artists to explore Reconnection and/or Disconnection across disciplines, languages, cultures, technologies, and histories. The curatorial team seeks to inspire proposals with the following open questions: - How might interactive storytelling aid or represent experiences of reconnection? - What effect might sensations of disconnection (from each other, from technology, from the internet) have on interactive storytelling? - How far do the connections and disconnections (between different technologies, methodologies, creative practices, creators, story nodes etc etc) shape interactive storytelling? The International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling The International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) is the premier venue for researchers, practitioners and theorists to present recent results, share novel techniques and insights, and exchange ideas about this new storytelling medium. Interactive digital storytelling is an exciting area in which narrative, computer science and art converge to create new expressive forms. The combination of narrative and computation has considerable untapped potential, ranging from artistic projects to interactive documentaries, from assistive technologies and intelligent agents to serious games, education and entertainment. The conference has a long-standing tradition of bringing together theoretical and practical approaches in an interdisciplinary dialogue. Since 2010, ICIDS has hosted an international art exhibition open to the general public. This year, the exhibition will be held in connection with the ICIDS conference in Tallinn, Estonia. It will be open to the public under free admission at a venue to be announced later. The art exhibition will be held in conjunction with the academic conference, which runs from 7-10 of December. A virtual catalogue of the works will be hosted online by the conference, and descriptions and scholarship published by Carnegie Mellon ETC Press in a peer-reviewed, ISBN-numbered volume in the year following the exhibition. Submissions The ICIDS Art Exhibition welcomes proposals for interactive digital storytelling artworks that explore the curatorial theme [Re|Dis]Connection, and that engage with the challenge of combining computational digital media and storytelling. Artworks can include, but are not limited to: – screen-based computational works; – web-based works, – interactive installations; – augmented, virtual, and mixed reality, – mobile and location-based works; – computer games; – interactive documentaries; – transmedia works; – and any other artistic works that involve some combination of computational and/or rule-based system and interactive storytelling. Artworks must be completed by the time of exhibition, and not at the concept stage. Works-in-progress or technology demonstrations may be appropriate for the academic conference doctoral consortium, and should be submitted there. Submitted works will be reviewed by a jury, and selected works will be exhibited in the exhibition space, and included in the online exhibition catalogue. Important dates • August 31, 2021 (11:59 pm, Eastern European Summer Time) artwork proposal submission deadline. • September 30, 2021: notice of acceptance/rejection. Note that jury members may contact the artists prior to this if there is the need for clarification or discussion of details of the submission. Upon acceptance, curators will contact the artists to discuss details of the artwork and to discuss installation requirements. Submissions should provide details of equipment needed, and specify what equipment will be provided by the artists. ICIDS is not able to provide financial assistance. We will attempt to provide some assistance with equipment and manpower for installation, but artists are encouraged to provide their own equipment and to be present during setup where possible for physical works and installations. The curators will be happy to provide a reference letter to aid artists in applying for funding. • Submission of final materials for exhibition catalogue (date TBC - participating artists will be notified of date prior to exhibition opening) • December 7th 2021: Exhibition opens. Criteria for Selection We welcome both physical installations and online submissions. The art exhibition will be presented in a hybrid format, its final form depending on the local situation considering COVID19 measures in December. In the case of a fully online exhibition, online sessions/panels/presentations/fireside chats with artists will be organized to ensure artists have sufficient opportunity to describe and discuss their work, therefore there is an expectation of commitment to virtual participation in the conference. Estonian language submissions are also encouraged - we will ensure such submissions are reviewed by Estonian-speaking judges. We are looking for novel, thought-provoking, evocative, sensor-rich interactive art experiences created by a diverse and broad group of creative practitioners. The selection will be based on the criteria listed below in order of priority: Creativity: original or innovative use of interactive media, articulating the relationships between interactivity and storytelling Strength of the concept: depth, coherence and originality Relevance to the theme: demonstrates the ability to shed light on, elaborate, or personalise the exhibition theme “[Re|Dis]Connection” Feasibility: ease of installation (or provides clear guidance for installation). NOTE: Please consider restrictions of set-up time, resources, COVID-compliance etc. Durability: work should be able to withstand users' active interaction. To submit: complete the online form Queries: icids2021exhibition@gmail.com ICIDS 2021 Art Exhibition co-Curators: Lynda Clark (InGAME, University of Dundee) and Raivo Kelomees (Estonian Academy of Arts) Conference Website: https://ardin.online/conferences/icids-interactive-storytelling/icids-2021-tallinn Social media: https://www.facebook.com/ICIDS, https://twitter.com/icids