xCoAx is an exploration of the intersection where computational tools and media meet art and culture, in the form of a multi-disciplinary enquiry on aesthetics, computation, communication and the elusive X factor that connects them all.

xCoAx has been an occasion for international audiences to meet and exchange ideas, in search for interdisciplinary synergies among computer scientists, artists, media practitioners, and theoreticians at the thresholds between digital arts and culture. Previous editions of xCoAx took place in:

    Milan 2019
    Madrid 2018
    Lisbon 2017
    Bergamo 2016
    Glasgow 2015
    Porto 2014
    Bergamo 2013

The proceedings of xCoAx are archived at proceedings.xcoax.org.

The focus of xCoAx is on the unpredictable overlaps between the freedom of creativity and the rules of algorithms, between human nature and machine technology, with the aim to evolve towards new directions in aesthetics.

In 2020 xCoAx will take place in Graz, Austria, directly adjoining the symposium Algorithms that Matter (ALMAT). On the two days preceding xCoAx, ALMAT gathers artists and researchers to present and discuss the relations between algorithmic agency and artistic research, the practice of algorithmic experimentation and its impact on compositional process. ALMAT has issued a separate call for participation and reduced combi-tickets are available for xCoAx + ALMAT (see Registration).

Submission Categories

Paper: 5 to 10 pages conference paper, following the formatting in the Word template. Revision of papers will be double-blind. Please make sure that the PDF file is completely anonymised (i.e. omits author-related information in body of text or as explicit self-citations, notes and bibliography). Accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings and allotted 15 minutes presentation time at the conference.

Artworks: 3 to 4 page description paper, following the formatting in the Word template. Revision of proposals will be single-blind. Proposals should provide a clear description of the work, one or more URLs for access to relevant media assets, and a technical rider (layout, setup, required equipment). The acceptance of artworks will not only depend on reviews, but also on their technical requirements. xCoAx has a limited budget, mainly based on the registration fees. Works that require excessive resources on xCoAx’s part may not be accepted. It is fundamental that the proponents are ready to bring their own equipment and minimize their reliance on the xCoAx organisation. All accepted works will be allotted 5 minutes presentation time at the conference. The proceedings will publish an extended abstract to be provided by the authors after the conference.

Performances: 3 to 4 page description paper, following the formatting in the Word template. Revision of proposals will be single-blind. Proposals should provide a clear description of the work, one or more URLs for access to relevant media assets, and a technical rider (layout, setup, required equipment). The acceptance of performances will not only depend on reviews, but also on their technical requirements. xCoAx has a limited budget, mainly based on the registration fees. Works that require excessive resources on xCoAx’s part may not be accepted. It is fundamental that the proponents are ready to bring their own equipment and minimize their reliance on the xCoAx organisation. All accepted works will be allotted 5 minutes presentation time at the conference. Performances will be allotted a maximum of 20 minutes on stage during the performance night. The proceedings will publish an extended abstract to be provided by the authors after the conference.

Special Call: Works for MUMUTH's Ligeti Hall: The Ligeti Hall is KUG’s main concert stage, equipped with state-of-the-art technology for sound and video projection. In particular, the hall provides a system of 32 loudspeakers mounted on independent, custom made motorised suspensions, which allow to adjust height level, azimuth angle and tilt of each individual speaker and to compose custom speaker layouts. Further, an array of 64 speakers spans the hall’s entire ceiling and upper walls. This is a call for works which are especially tailored towards the Ligeti Hall's special infrastructure and its possible aesthetic implication. In particular, we seek contributions with a strong experimental and electroacoustic character that challenge common and established approaches to sound on multichannel setups. Further information regarding this special call can be found here.

Submit a 3 to 4 page description paper, following the formatting in the Word template. Revision of proposals will be single-blind. Proposals should provide a clear description of the work, one or more URLs for access to relevant media assets, and a technical rider (layout, setup, required equipment). The acceptance of performances will not only depend on reviews, but also on their technical requirements. xCoAx has a limited budget, mainly based on the registration fees. Works that require excessive resources on xCoAx’s part may not be accepted. It is fundamental that the proponents are ready to bring their own equipment and minimize their reliance on the xCoAx organisation. All accepted works will be allotted 5 minutes presentation time at the conference. Performances will be allotted a maximum of 20 minutes on stage during the performance night. The proceedings will publish an extended abstract to be provided by the authors after the conference.

Doctoral symposium abstracts: Only Master’s and PhD students can apply to present their work-in-progress and receive feedback from established researchers. Submit a document, following the formatting in the Word template, comprised of a letter of support from your advisor followed by a 2-page research paper with 1) Purpose of the research and its importance to the field; 2) Brief survey of background and related work; 3) Description of the proposed approach; 4) Expected contributions; 5) Progress towards goals. A revised version will be requested for inclusion in the proceedings after the symposium.

Previous xCoAx Doctoral Symposia were chaired by Frieder Nake, Mario Klingemann, Philip Galanter, and Simona Chiodo.

Submission Details

    All works must be submitted via EasyChair;
    Submissions must be original and will be rigorously reviewed by an international and multidisciplinary scientific committee, in a process that will assess originality, relevance, artistic and technical achievements;
    Submissions should be presented as .pdf files with all the media files embedded or linked to online resources;
    Final versions for publication should be delivered in .docx with all the images and other media files attached as independent files;
    All images and media assets must be cleared for publication by the authors;
    At least one of the authors of each selected contribution must register to the conference before the first author registration deadline in order for the work to be published in the proceedings;
    xCoAx’s working language is English;
    xCoAx’s conference proceedings (with ISBN) will be published online;
    A selection of works will be published in a forthcoming special issue of CITAR’s Journal of Science and Technology of the Arts;
    Please contact the program chairs at info@xcoax.org with any questions regarding submissions.