[spectre] xCoAx 2021 – Call for papers, artworks, performances

[L Ribas]

xCoAx 2021: 9th International Conference on Computation,
Communication, Aesthetics and X
Dates: 12-16 July 2021
Location: Online

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Website: http://xcoax.org/
Deadline: 31 January 2021
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xCoAx is an exploration of the intersection where computational tools
and media meet art and culture, in the form of a multi-disciplinary
enquiry on aesthetics, computation, communication and the elusive X
factor that connects them all.

The focus of xCoAx is on the unpredictable overlaps between the
freedom of creativity and the rules of algorithms, between human
nature and machine technology, with the aim to evolve towards new
directions in aesthetics.

xCoAx has been an occasion for international audiences to meet and
exchange ideas, in search for interdisciplinary synergies among
computer scientists, artists, media practitioners, and theoreticians
at the thresholds between digital arts and culture. Starting in 2013
in Bergamo, xCoAx has so far taken place also in Porto, Glasgow,
Lisbon, Madrid, and Milan.

Due to the CoViD-19 pandemic, xCoAx 2020 was online and, building on
that experience, so will be the 2021 edition.

xCoAx 2021’s keynote speakers are philosopher of technology Yuk Hui
and new media artist Špela Petrič.

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Call for papers, artworks, performances
xCoAx 2021 calls for papers, artworks, performances and research
works-in-progress by scholars, artists, performers and students,
respectively, working on any of the multi-disciplinary facets of this
event, which will take place online from Monday, July 12th to Friday,
July 16th 2021.

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Topics
You are invited to submit theoretical, practical or experimental
research work in the form of papers, artworks, and performances, on a
range of topics that includes but is not limited to the following:
• Computation
• Communication
• Aesthetics
• X
• Algorithms / Systems / Models
• Artificial Aesthetics
• Artificial Intelligence / Creativity
• Audiovisuals / Multimodality
• Design
• Interaction
• Games
• Generative Art / Design
• History
• Mechatronics / Physical Computing
• Music / Sound Art
• Performance
• Philosophy of Art / of Computation
• Technology / Ethics / Epistemology

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Important dates
• Submission deadline: January 31
• Notifications to authors: March 29
• Registration deadline for authors: April 12
• Delivery of final versions of papers and
artwork/performances/symposium abstracts for the proceedings: April 12
• Delivery of final versions of multimedia files and video
presentations for the website: May 10
• Welcome and opening: July 12
• Doctoral symposium: July 13
• Discussions of artworks and performances: July 14
• Discussions of papers: July 15 & 16
• Closing party: July 16

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Submission categories
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Papers

Please submit a paper (3.000 to 6.000 words, excluding references)
following the formatting in the Word template at
http://xcoax.org/xCoAx_2021_Paper_Template.docx

Revision of papers will be double-blind. Please make sure that the PDF
file is completely anonymised (i.e. omits author-related information
in the body of text or as explicit self-citations, notes and
bibliography). Accepted papers will be published in the conference
proceedings and a 15-minute presentation video by the authors will be
published on the xCoAx 2021 website.

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Doctoral Symposium Abstracts

Only Master’s and PhD students can apply to present their
work-in-progress and receive feedback from established researchers.
Submit a document, following the formatting in the Word template at
http://xcoax.org/xCoAx_2021_DoctoralSymposium_Template.docx, comprised
of a research paper and a letter of support from your advisor (700 to
2.000 words, excluding references) that should include the following:
1) Purpose of the research and its importance to the field; 2) Brief
survey of background and related work; 3) Description of the proposed
approach; 4) Expected contributions; 5) Progress towards goals.

Revision of proposals will be single-blind. A revised version will be
requested for inclusion in the proceedings after the symposium.
Previous xCoAx Doctoral Symposia were chaired by Frieder Nake, Mario
Klingemann, Philip Galanter, Simona Chiodo and Marko Ciciliani. The
Doctoral Symposium will take place online and it will be a closed
event.

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Artworks

Proposals should provide a clear description of the work (in case of
online artworks possibly a link to the artwork itself) in the form of
a document including the following:
• An abstract of maximum 200 words
• A main text of 700 to 2.000 words (excluding references)
• An appendix with technical details of the artwork
• Another appendix with references to multimedia material on the artwork

The document must follow the formatting in the Word template at
http://xcoax.org/xCoAx_2021_Artwork_Performance_Template.docx
Revision of proposals will be single-blind.

Due to the pandemic, there will not be an on-site exhibition at xCoAx
2021. As such, on top of the reviews from the Scientific Committee,
the Organising Committee will favour works that are optimised for an
online exhibition setting, either through pre-recorded documentation
or as networked or browser-based works, as well as works that are
internet-aware or use the internet as resource or theme.

For all accepted works, the abstract and the main text will be
published in the proceedings; the abstract and selected multimedia
materials will be published on a dedicated page in the xCoAx 2021
website.

After notification of acceptance, artists will need to provide a
5-minute video presentation that will be included in their artwork’s
page. The video is necessary for their entry to be included in the
proceedings and on the website.

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Performances

Proposals should provide a clear description of the performance in the
form of a document including the following:
• An abstract of maximum 200 words
• A main text of 700 to 2.000 words (excluding references)
• An appendix with technical details of the artwork
• Another appendix with references to multimedia material
documentation on the performance
The submission document must follow the formatting in the Word template at
http://xcoax.org/xCoAx_2021_Artwork_Performance_Template.docx
Revision of proposals will be single-blind.

Due to the pandemic, there will not be on-site performances at xCoAx
2021. Pre-recorded performances are welcome, however, on top of the
reviews from the Scientific Committee, the Organising Committee will
favour live-streamed performances, networked performances,
browser-based performances, and performances that are internet-aware
and use the internet as resource or theme.

For all accepted works, the abstract and the main text will be
published in the proceedings; the abstract and selected multimedia
materials will be published on a dedicated page in the xCoAx 2021
website.

After notification of acceptance, artists will need to provide a
5-minute video presentation that will be included in their
performance’s page. The video is necessary for their entry to be
included in the proceedings and on the website.

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Additional information and submission details
• All works must be submitted via EasyChair:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=xcoax2021
• Submissions must be original and will be rigorously reviewed by an
international and multidisciplinary scientific committee, in a process
that will assess originality, relevance, artistic and technical
achievements;
• Submissions should be presented as .pdf files with all the media
files embedded or linked to online resources;
• Final versions for publication should be delivered in .docx with all
the images and other media files attached as independent files;
• All images and media assets must be cleared for publication by the authors;
• At least one of the authors of each selected contribution must
register to the conference before the first author registration
deadline in order for the work to be published in the proceedings;
• xCoAx’s working language is English;
• xCoAx’s conference proceedings (with ISBN) will be published online
with free access;
• Please contact the program chairs at info at xcoax.org with any
questions regarding submissions.

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Conference format
• Monday July 12: Opening Session, opening of the exhibition and
performances, proceedings launch, welcome online party.
• Tuesday July 13: Doctoral Symposium, opening of paper section
• Wednesday July 14: Artworks and performances presentations
• Thursday July 15: Paper sessions with Q&A, keynote with Q&A
• Friday July 16: Paper sessions with Q&A, keynote with Q&A, closing party

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Registration
For each accepted submission, one author will have to register as
below before April 12. Registrations will open after the notifications
of the reviews (March 29, 2021).
• Author registration: € 100.
• Reduced registration: € 25 (for authors without academic affiliation).
• Doctoral symposium: € 25.
Attendance to xCoAx 2021 is free and does not require registration.

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Organizing committee
• André Rangel, CITAR
• Daniele Pozzi, Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics,
University of Music and Performing Arts Graz
• David Pirrò, Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics, University
of Music and Performing Arts Graz
• Hanns Holger Rutz, Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics,
University of Music and Performing Arts Graz
• Jason Reizner, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
• Luís Nunes, i2ADS / Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto
• Luísa Ribas, CIEBA / Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Lisbon
• Mario Verdicchio, Università degli Studi di Bergamo
• Miguel Carvalhais, INESC TEC / i2ADS / Faculty of Fine Arts,
University of Porto

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Contacts
• info at xcoax.org
• http://xcoax.org/
• https://twitter.com/xcoaxorg
• https://www.instagram.com/xcoaxorg/