PIKSEL

Piksel Cyber Salons: A Brief History

The inception of Piksel Cyber Salons can be traced back to 2020, a year marked by the rapid emergence of new ways to connect in response to the global pandemic. While virtual reality (VR) was not a novel concept, WebVR became more accessible and easier to develop, aligning well with the prevailing spirit of the times.

Piksel FestSpil 2020 – COPY PASTE

The inaugural Piksel Cyber Salon took place during the Piksel FestSpil in 2020, curated by Antonio Roberts. Its aim was to embrace the essence of digital artworks that could only be exhibited in the digital realm. Artists Matthew Plummer-Fernandez and Julien Deswaef presented glitchy collages of random objects sourced from freely accessible 3D online repositories, resulting in a peculiar landscape.

The Piksel Cyber Salon was part of the Ars Electrónica Garden BERGEN

You can explore the salon here: Link to Piksel FestSpil Cyber Salon.

GLOCAL, Piksel Cyber Salon 2020 Piksel Festival

The second Piksel Cyber Salon, held in 2021, experimented with the festival’s slogan letters, transforming the salon into an electronic literature saloon. Created by artist Malitzin Cortés (CNDSD), each artwork was linked to ring-shaped sculptures, and curated video programs played continuously on various screens. A live connection was established with the festival in Bergen.

Explore the salon here: Link to GLOCAL Cyber Salon.

Piksel 21, Reboot Me Softly

The third Piksel Cyber Salon, known as Piksel 21, embraced a semi-dark environment, symbolizing our gradual emergence from the global outbreak. Alongside digital sculptures created by 3D artist, creative coder, and sound artist Santiago Ramírez Camarena, the Cyber Salon served as a virtual arena for following the festival’s streaming activities. A TV studio was set up at Piksel to facilitate streaming, attracting newcomers to the world of streaming and expanding the content.

Visit the salon here: Link to Piksel 21 Cyber Salon.

PikselXX, AI, AI, AI

Marking 20 years of New Media Art and Free/Libre technologies in Norway, Piksel XX featured a seminar, special projects, an extensive exhibition, concerts, performances, artist presentations, and workshops. The fourth Piksel Cyber Salon served as a hub for experiencing all these events. Furthermore, the development of the new Cyber Salon aimed to establish a more profound connection with physical spaces. This led to the creation and premiere of IDLE in November 2022. Learn more about the IDLE project here: IDLE Project Details.

To enter the Piksel Cyber Salon, follow this link: Piksel Cyber Salon.

Enjoy your visit!