Published on Tuesday, 13 January 2026 at 9:23:18 AM
Artist Opportunities
FOUNDATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
The boorda yeyi Foundational Symposium gathers artists, technologists and cultural strategists from across Australia for a concentrated weekend of critical exchange, experimentation and inquiry. Across talks, demonstrations and workshops, the program explores the evolving language of immersive art, its tools, aesthetics and cultural possibilities.
The 2026 Symposium, themed Changing Worlds, unfolds over two days: Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 February at the State Library of Western Australia, moving from ideas of presence to care and from data to earth.
Day One: Deliberate Technology brings together artists working with archives and data and explores systems of thinking as a creative method. This approach helps inform ways of working and builds specific, powerful narratives that shape how people encounter an artwork.
The first day of the Symposium features talks, case studies and demonstrations from leading voices including Ngarluma filmmaker Perun Bonser (DADAA), artist and digital producer Sophie Penkethman-Young (Junior Major) and a presentation on the State Library of Western Australia’s Storylines project by Denion Toomath (Menang/Noongar) and David Craddock.
Participants will also be invited to join a guided tour of the State Library of Western Australia Archives, connecting the symposium’s themes of embodiment and digital storytelling to place and data sovereignty.
Day Two: Analogue Collectivism brings together artists and researchers who use technology to think about our relationship with the environment. This session looks at how digital tools can help us slow down, pay attention and create a stronger sense of connection between viewers and the environment.
Artist April Phillips and her collaborators will talk about working in real time. They discuss how an artwork can change based on audience interaction and what it means when presence genuinely affects what the work does. Along with Pat Younis and Jordan East (Friends with Computers), Phillips will discuss how the collective’s practice and ways of working draws on ecological and cultural systems, using interactive technology to create artworks that ‘live’ and continue to shift beyond the gallery.
Dr Martina Mongriovius will share insights from her holographic artwork projects, her research and discuss how creative ecosystems enable creative engagement.
Expressions of Interest for boorda yeyi’s Foundational Symposium open 15 December 2025, closing 19 January 2026.
The 2026 boorda yeyi Foundational Symposium is supported by our Venue Partner, the State Library of Western Australia.
HOW TO APPLY
EOIs Open
15 December 2025
EOIs Closed
19 January 2026
Applicants Notified
27 January 2026
2026 Foundational Symposium
Saturday 21 February 2026
Sunday 22 February 2026
- This program is offered free to Western Australian residents only.
- Artists, technologists, developers, designers and programmers interested in inter-disciplinary collaboration are encouraged to apply.
- There will be space for up to 40 participants to attend the two-day weekend.
- Travel bursaries will be available for a selection of up to four artists living in regional or remote WA.
Artists are encouraged to submit any questions about the program prior to making their submission. Please direct enquiries to the boorda yeyi Program Manager via info@pica.org.au
More information: Foundational Symposium - boorda yeyi
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