In the Spring of 2017, I leveraged Engadget‘s sway in the tech space to facilitate the marriage of two often disparate fields: art and technology. With funding from Oath, The Alternate Realities Grant became the world’s largest award for immersive art. Five grantees each received $100,000 to develop mind-bending experiences that addressed the theme of alternate realities. The diverse collection of visual artists, educators and filmmakers, debuted their works at The Engadget Experience, a one-day event at the historic United Artist’s theater in downtown Los Angeles.
Through a series of talks, panels and screenings, we offered our tightly curated audience of 800-plus attendees a glimpse at the future, where technology and the arts come together in unexpected ways. The guest list included executives and creatives from technological juggernauts to esteemed cultural institutions, including Google, Facebook, YouTube, Oculus, RSA, Technicolor, Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The event also served as the premier for a series of short documentaries tracking the progress of each grantee’s project.
Above: Untrained Eyes from artist Glenn Kaino and actor / activist Jesse Williams.