Sheikha Latifa opens world's largest ISEA symposium in Dubai
The symposium includes 145 academic papers, more than 50 talks and over 100 artworks.
Dubai: Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), inaugurated the 31st International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art (ISEA2026 Dubai), held under the theme "ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data, and Identity.“
Bringing together artists, researchers, innovators, and specialists from around the world, the symposium, in its largest-ever edition, explores how art, science, and technology can expand creative expression, deepen cultural understanding, and shape the future of electronic and emerging art.
Sheikha Latifa marked the inauguration by launching the interactive ELYAH show at ARTE MUSEUM Dubai. Inspired by Dubai’s celestial heritage, the experience combined light, music, performance and digital technology to explore the relationship between people, place and identity.
By stepping onto an interactive star, Sheikha Latifa activated a visual sequence tracing the story of ELYAH, its historical role as a navigational guide, and its connection to Dubai’s past. The experience linked the emirate’s heritage with its future, highlighting how art, science and technology can bring cultures, generations and ideas into dialogue.
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Coinciding with the symposium’s opening, the façade of Burj Khalifa was illuminated with a spectacular projection show that brought the story of ELYAH to life through visual compositions inspired by stars, light and the symposium’s digital identity.
Sheikha Latifa affirmed that hosting ISEA reflects Dubai’s growing influence in the global arts community and its vision for the future of culture and the arts.
She highlighted the city’s commitment to opening new avenues for international dialogue between art and technology, giving artists and researchers from diverse cultural backgrounds opportunities to learn from one another, develop ideas together and explore digital media while remaining connected to the communities and traditions that inspire their work.
Sheikha Latifa said, “This symposium marks an important step in Dubai’s journey, creating space for digital art and new ideas to develop within a culture of innovation. It invites us to consider our relationship with technology and how these tools can enrich people’s experiences and bring cultures closer together. Through this exchange, Dubai continues to strengthen its position as a global centre for creativity, where artists can develop their practice and excel.”
She added, “This year’s theme, ELYAH, draws its meaning from a star that guided our ancestors across deserts and seas, connecting the wisdom they passed down to us with the aspirations we hold for tomorrow.
"As our cultural heritage takes on new forms in digital spaces, we have a responsibility to safeguard our identity and help each generation understand, enrich and carry that heritage forward with pride. Preserving our heritage means caring for its stories and the human values and meanings they hold.”
During her tour of ARTE MUSEUM Dubai, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum viewed digital artworks by international artists presented as part of the ELYAH experience.
Inspired by nature and the stars, the works offered different perspectives on humanity’s relationship with the universe. They demonstrated how digital technologies can translate artistic ideas into immersive environments, combining movement, colour, sound and data to create new ways for audiences to engage with digital art.
She viewed "Quantum Memory Fossils – Where Breath Becomes Light" by Taeyoung Ahn, which explores connections between nature, memory and the future through digital landscapes that combine natural environments, architecture and imagination.
She also experienced "Cosmic Balance: A Hybrid Cosmos of Water, Light & Gesture" by Ina Hur and Serkan Jolboldin, which brings traditional elements into contemporary visual expression to explore the balance between nature and technology. In "Saving Aesthetics," Orkhan Mammadov reinterpreted traditional patterns and symbols through digital technology, demonstrating how contemporary art can preserve cultural memory through new forms of visual expression.
Dubai Culture’s hosting of the 31st edition of ISEA supports the objectives of its Digital Arts Roadmap by creating opportunities for research, experimentation, innovation, and collaboration among artists, researchers, and cultural, academic, and technology institutions.
It enables Emirati talent to share work and perspectives internationally, build professional relationships and explore new approaches to artistic practice. These exchanges support the growth of the cultural and creative industries and strengthen Dubai’s position as a global reference for culture, a leader in innovation and a driver of the creative economy, rooted in Emirati heritage.
The symposium combines an in-person Artistic Programme featuring more than 100 artworks across Dubai with an Online Academic Programme accessible to international audiences. The Artistic Programme includes installations, performances, visual presentations and interactive experiences.
The Online Academic Programme comprises 145 academic papers, more than 50 artist and practitioner talks and conversations, and over 10 workshops. It also includes four special tracks offering more than 45 workshops, panel discussions and presentations, seven Eco Labs workshops, and over 20 institutional presentations.
Running until 15th November, the symposium explores four principal themes: "Celestial Dialogues," "Charting Constellations," "Eco-Tech Futures" and "Starlinked Worlds".
Sessions examine the relationships between place, memory, identity and emerging technologies, alongside environmental responsibility and the future of human interaction in the digital world. Together, they consider how art can deepen understanding of technological change and its effects on societies and cultures.
