Since 2020, the Korea National University of Arts has showcased convergence art works of artists from the university by collaborating with Ars Electronica Festival (Linz, Austria). Since physical interaction was severely constrained due to an unforeseen calamity, we had been experimenting with various online creations and presentations in our pursuit of a new digital platform.

Thanks to the advancement in technology, humans have expanded their field of activity to the digital space beyond physical limitations. We are yearning for ways to maintain human contact in a society that prefers to communicate through media rather than face-to-face, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Digital technology has helped enable the combination of new media and senses. This state of digital humanism has helped us imagine unprecedented senses and habits of interacting and empathizing with other beings.

Human touch is the attitude of human beings to coexist with ecology and technology. It means technology that can coexist with humans, not technology that is mutually exclusive. In the context of a global crisis, we attempt to break down the boundary that separates humans from non-humans, and explore ways of human connection through which humans and machines and humans and nature can communicate together within the category of art. Accordingly, we have prepared various immersive performances, NFT showcases, and lecture series.

Director : Chungyean Cho (Vice President of K-ARTS)