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Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who chairs the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, opened ISEA2026 Dubai on 7 November. It is the 31st edition of the International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art, and it runs until 15 November under the theme "ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data, and Identity". The sources describe it as the largest edition to date.
The opening was marked by an interactive ELYAH show at ARTE MUSEUM Dubai. It combined light, music, performance and digital technology and drew on Dubai's celestial heritage. Sheikha Latifa stepped onto an interactive star to start a visual sequence about ELYAH, a star that served as a navigational guide. At the same time, a projection show based on the ELYAH story was displayed on the façade of Burj Khalifa.
During her tour of the museum, Sheikha Latifa viewed digital works by international artists. They included "Quantum Memory Fossils: Where Breath Becomes Light" by Taeyoung Ahn, "Cosmic Balance: A Hybrid Cosmos of Water, Light & Gesture" by Ina Hur and Serkan Jolboldin, and "Saving Aesthetics" by Orkhan Mammadov.
Programme
The in-person Artistic Programme features over 100 artworks across Dubai. It includes installations, performances, visual shows and interactive experiences.
An online academic strand is open to international audiences. It offers 145 academic papers, over 50 talks and conversations with artists and practitioners, and more than 10 workshops. Four special tracks add over 45 workshops, panel discussions and presentations. There are also seven Eco Labs workshops and more than 20 presentations by institutions.
Sessions are organised around four themes: "Celestial Dialogues", "Charting Constellations", "Eco-Tech Futures" and "Starlinked Worlds". They cover place, memory, identity and emerging technologies, as well as environmental responsibility.
Dubai Culture says that hosting the symposium supports its Digital Arts Roadmap and lets Emirati talent present work internationally. Sheikha Latifa said the event "marks an important step in Dubai's journey".
Visitors in Dubai can see the artworks in person until 15 November, while the academic sessions are held online. WAM reported the opening, and Gulf News carried a matching account.
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