In Venice, a media art festival explores the connection between human beings, nature and emerging technologies: until 31 August 2026, the seventeenth edition of CYFEST proposes a dialogue between historical works of the twentieth-century avant-garde and new digital practices. The exhibition is hosted at CREA Cantieri del Contemporaneo, on the island of Giudecca.
The exhibition brings works from the Frants Family Collection into dialogue with contemporary installations, video, kinetic works and digital interventions.
The aim is to examine how different languages and tools address themes at the centre of public debate today: climate change, ecological hybridisation, technological intelligences and shifts in perception.
The participating artists include Anna Frants, Jaanika Peerna, the collective AES+F, Elena Gubanova together with Ivan Govorkov, Tuula Närhinen and Mariateresa Sartori. Alongside these names, the exhibition engages with an international network of artists who explore media art in multiple forms, from animated sculpture to immersive practices.
Organised by CYLAND Foundation, the project benefits from the support of the Frants Foundation and is developed in collaboration with Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the Center for Studies in Russian, Central Asian and Caucasian Art (CSAR), CURA and Weave. The involvement of the Venetian university has produced an extensive public programme throughout the exhibition, bringing academic research and artistic practice together.
The historical works on display allow visitors to retrace some of the paths taken by the twentieth-century avant-garde that anticipated questions now reconsidered in the light of digital technologies. Conversely, the more recent works focus on how sensors, algorithms and interactive media redefine the way we see the landscape and relationships between human beings and the environment.
The works on display use different languages to investigate reality. Some projects focus on perception, altering the viewer’s sensory experience; others favour a narrative or documentary approach, reworking visual and sound materials to highlight environmental transformations. Technical experimentation also has its place: kinetic installations and digital practices translate complex ecological questions into visual forms.
The choice of Giudecca as the venue is no coincidence: in recent years, CREA Cantieri del Contemporaneo has become a reference point for projects seeking to combine exhibition and experimentation. Its exhibition spaces accommodate works requiring a variety of technical and curatorial solutions, encouraging direct encounters between historical works and new media.
The organisers present the exhibition as a platform for international research and exchange. Working with academic institutions and research centres, CYFEST aims to bring together expertise from different disciplines, from historical and critical study to contemporary production practices.
The project is curated by CYLAND MediaArtLab, which coordinated the selection of works and collaborations with partner institutions. Support from the Frants Foundation made it possible to include works from the Frants Family Collection, giving the exhibition a historical as well as contemporary perspective.
The festival remains open until 31 August 2026 at CREA Cantieri del Contemporaneo, Giudecca 211/B, Venice.
English translation of the original Italian article.