Beta Festival – events, conference & exhibition from 2nd to 19th November.

- Do you want to see the internet powered by potatoes, have a prompt battle with friends using text-to-image software or listen to talks about artificial intelligence and data rights?

- All will be part of Beta festival, a new art and technology festival taking place at The Digital Hub and the surrounding Dublin 8 area.

BETA is a new festival of art and technology for Ireland, taking place from 2nd to 5th of November at The Digital Hub campus and nearby locations in Dublin 8, with the exhibition that opens as part of it continuing in The Digital Hub and the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) until 19th November.

The Festival has been developed by The Digital Hub and Aisling Murray, to explore technology’s impact on society. Installations and exhibitions will focus on key cultural themes such as quantum technologies, the global energy crisis, data rights, and Artificial Intelligence in Art.

Key highlights from the weekend will include:

• Project Arts Centre will host performances from Dwelling; a new performance, creating imperceptible, poetic worlds that allow the audience to pass through space, time, and memory to experience the lives of others. Created by Peter Power & Leon Butler.
• The Ethics Studio, a space for members of the public to engage with real ethical concerns and potential real-world impacts of new and emerging technologies developed with the festival research partner ADAPT Research Centre.
• Prompt Battle, a rambunctious live event where people compete against each other using text-to-image software from Sebastian Schmieg, Bernadette Geiger, and the Prompt Battle Team
• Keynote talk from Rachel O’Dwyer, nominated author of the Financial Times Nominated Best Business Book of the Year 2023 on Tokens
• International arts residencies with Transmediale, Berlin – supported by the Arts Council with newly announced selected artists Bassam Issa Al-Sabah, bela and Kloxii, Mac Andre Arboleda, and Nadia J. Armstrong
• A crit in collaboration with Creative Futures Academy and NCAD with internationally acclaimed digital artist John Gerrard whose work was most recently included in U2’s Sphere performance in Las Vegas.

Beta will officially launch on Thursday, November 2nd with the events and conferences taking place over the weekend until Sunday November 5th. The free to attend exhibition of artworks and installations of Irish-based and international artists will run from the 2nd to 19th of November 2023 at Digital Depot at The Digital Hub.

Events and exhibitions will take place predominantly in buildings across The Digital Hub campus, including Digital Depot, iD8 Studio, The Bank and the Learning Studio. Roe & Co Irish Whiskey are the night-time festival partner and will support curated line-ups from GASH Collective and Open Ear in Tailor’s Hall on Thomas Street. As well as a new commission from artist Sal Stapleton that will be digitally placed in multiple locations in Dublin 8.

Many events are free to attend and there are day tickets available for the conference series over Friday 2nd (€25) and Saturday 3rd (€30), with a limited number of €5 tickets for individual events on the door.

Exhibition details: https://betafestival.ie/Exhibition
Conference details: https://betafestival.ie/Conference-1
Event details: https://betafestival.ie/Events-1

Beta is currently the only festival of its kind in Ireland for art and technology bringing together artists, researchers, and industry with a focus on ethics and public engagement. Learn more: https://betafestival.ie/Festival