IDFA DocLab is an interdisciplinary platform for interactive and immersive documentary art. Founded in 2007, DocLab pushes the boundaries of how we perceive and engage with non-fiction narratives by blending art, reality, and technology. I was excited to be asked to become a program advisor in 2024. Founder Caspar Sonnen and his partner in crime, Nina van Doren, once again, curated an incredible program reflecting on the current times.
In a world that is connected 24/7 through technology, we are becoming more disconnected, lonely, and anxious than ever. What are the human costs of our addiction to tech-driven convenience? Can we still go offline without looking away from everything that’s happening in this world? Can we truly disconnect without losing track of each other? And instead of keeping us inside our screens, what happens when interactive and immersive art becomes a more physical and shared experience?
This year’s theme, Off the Internet, explores the paradox of our time: the growing desire to disconnect, the impossibility of ever truly logging off, and the inherent privilege of stepping offline. With Off the Internet, DocLab turns to interactive and immersive art in search of new forms of physical presence and connection.
14 – 22 November
Brakke Grond, droog and Planetarium Artis in Amsterdam.