The 31st edition of ISEA, the International Symposium on Electronic Art, is taking over Dubai for ten days. The event, ISEA2026 Dubai, brings together cultural exhibitions, workshops and live experiences exploring the theme of ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data and Identity, and is structured for the first time as a hybrid of a citywide artistic programme and an online academic programme.

More than 1,000 art submissions were received, and the artistic programme presents a shortlist of interactive installations, exhibitions and live performances across more than 20 venues in the city, including the Foundry, ARTE Museum and Etihad Museum. The citywide format means visitors move between neighbourhoods and institutions rather than gathering in a single hall, with the academic programme running online alongside the physical shows. Al Wasl Dome and the Theatre of Digital Art host site-specific digital installations designed for an immersive experience.

The academic programme runs a series of panel talks, presentations and courses, including Charting Constellations, Starlinked Worlds and Celestial Dialogues, alongside an Ecological Future Labs track that examines sustainable practices. Workshops include sessions on creating calligraphy, letter art and typography with digital tools, such as Calligraphy to Code, with discussions led by local artists on how traditional art forms are evolving.

Maitha Ali Al Blooshi, director of the emerging arts department at Dubai Culture, said the edition brings together diverse disciplines so that art, research and technology can inform one another, supporting the growth of the digital and emerging arts sector and offering a platform where technology, imagination, knowledge and culture can come together to generate new ideas and artworks.