About the Student Competition
As part of ISEA2026, students are invited to participate in the Connecting Futures International Digital Arts Student Competition, responding to the symposium theme “ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data, and Identity.” This open call invites students to imagine how acts of connection—between people, cultures, environments, and technologies—can shape futures yet to come. The use of futures in the plural recognizes that there is no single future, but many—shaped by place, identity, access, and collaboration. Students are encouraged to submit playful, speculative, experimental, and poetic digital works that explore connection as a creative force.
Digital Arts Student Competition
All you need to know
Who can apply?
- Currently enrolled undergraduate students
- Open to international applicants
- Individual submissions or small teams (maximum 3 students)
Relevant disciplines include:
Exhibition Formats
Students may submit work to the following exhibition formats, depending on the nature of their project
Interactive Projection Installation (On-site at ISEA2026, Dubai)
Selected works will be presented within a large-scale interactive projection installation, where visitor movement activates and transforms the visuals in real time.
- Designed for silent, looping digital animations
- Works respond visually to footsteps and motion
- Installed as part of the ISEA2026 exhibition experience
Selection:
Approximately 10–15 works will be selected for this installation.
Online Exhibition (Global Presentation)
Students may also submit digital works to be featured in a curated online exhibition accessible worldwide.
- Supports audiovisual and time-based works
- No physical presence required
- Linked to connection & futures theme
Selection:
Determined by curatorial and technical considerations.
Selection Overview
All submissions are reviewed by the ISEA2026 team based on:
- Conceptual strength and relevance to the theme
- Creativity and originality
- Technical clarity and suitability for the chosen exhibition format
How to apply?
Students submit:
- A fully completed digital artwork
- Concept statement (up to 250 words)
- Short bio (up to 75 words) and institutional affiliation
- Portfolio or CV