Image credit: photo by Vib Soundrarajah © 2023 ACM SIGGRAPH
Featured in image: SIGGRAPH 2023 Art Gallery Selection “Conservation of Shadows” | Contributors: Haru Ji, OCAD University; Graham Wakefield, York University
As we close yet another exhilarating chapter of SIGGRAPH, one particular dimension of the event promises to redefine the boundaries of imagination — the Experience Hall. This is not just an exhibition space; it’s a journey into the future, where innovative art, science, and technology converge to create an unparalleled symphony of sensory marvels. Here’s a recap of what took place in Los Angeles!
Art Gallery
Art comes in many shapes and sizes, and the SIGGRAPH Art Gallery explores the fascinating intersection of art and technology. The artworks featured encompass a wide range of mediums, including digital installations, interactive sculptures, virtual reality experiences, generative art, animation, and more. Art Gallery visitors roamed this special space and interacted with installations such as “RGB Peg Mirror,” a piece that reproduces a full color reflection of the viewer, and “The Reminiscence — The Monologues of Being Seen,” in which the visitor can select a physical statue to place on a pedestal and hear a students’ story. This year, in honor of the 50th conference, the Art Gallery explored the concept of art as time capsules in the Experience presentation “Art as Time Capsules — Exploring the Future of Digital Art in Time, Space, and Interaction,” in which one of the presentations, “Reinventing the Spindle,” won Best in Show! Learn more about the Art Gallery.
Want to hear more from the Best in Show winner, Ebru Kurbak? Check out this on-demand SIGGRAPH Now webinar to discover insights in art as time capsules.
Emerging Technologies
Technology has come a long way in the past 50 years — and it continues to revolutionize our world every day! Emerging Technologies features a collection of demonstrations, exhibits, and interactive installations that present groundbreaking ideas, prototypes, and experimental projects. These projects often incorporate a mix of hardware, software, and interdisciplinary collaboration to push the boundaries of what is possible in fields such as virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics, haptics, wearable technology, and more. And many of the projects within the SIGGRAPH 2023 Experience Hall create inclusive and accessible environments, like “Inclusive Quiet Room for Building an Inclusive Society” and “SomatoShift: A Wearable Haptic Display for Somatomotor Reconfiguration via Modifying Acceleration of Body Movement.” The SIGGRAPH 2023 Emerging Technologies Best in Show awardee “Reprojection-free VR Passthrough” blew attendees away with its novel approach to VR passthrough that directly samples the correct rays and provides good image quality, low latency, and thin form factor. Learn more about Emerging Technologies.
Immersive Pavilion
At the Immersive Pavilion, attendees have the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of immersive experiences and interactive installations to experience life in a new light — literally! The Immersive Pavilion serves as an enchanting gateway that transports visitors into an entirely new and mesmerizing realm. Within this captivating space, the boundaries between reality and the virtual world blur as visitors are invited to embark on a journey of immersive experiences. Among the remarkable presentations, “Actualities: Seamless Live Performance With the Physical and Virtual Audiences in Multiverse” stands out as a shining example of the transformative power of this technology and took home the 2023 Immersive Pavilion Best in Show award. Other memorable projects include the “Stay Alive, My Son Chapter 1 & 2” VR experience, along with new ways to communicate and interact in VR. Learn more about the Immersive Pavilion.
Labs
Unlike traditional conference formats, Labs offers a hands-on and collaborative environment that encourages participants to actively engage with the technologies being showcased. Attendees can interact with experts, ask questions, and explore the inner workings of innovative projects at their fingertips. From interactive Labs Installations like “The Algorithmic Art Studio” and “Give Life Back to Alternative Process: Exploring Handmade Photographic Printing Experiments Toward Digital Nature Ecosystem” to hands-on classes that were full of SIGGRAPH 2023 participants eager to learn and get their hands on new technology, this program brought an extended level of energy to the Experience Hall. Learn more about Labs.
SIGGRAPH 2023 is not over yet! You can still register for Virtual Access to log on to experience on-demand recordings of the 50th conference until 9 September.
