DEAF, the Dutch Electronic Art Festival, is a biennial international and interdisciplinary festival organized by V2_ in Rotterdam (NL) which showcases crossovers between art, technology and society. DEAF features:
- an exhibition of interactive installations and Internet projects
- live performances (sound, music, installations, film, images)
- seminars and workshops
- talks and presentations
- an academic symposium
- a publication/catalog
- a festival website which allows participation and provides practical information and documentation
DEAF has established itself as one of the major European events in this field. It is a showcase for recent artwork, some specially commissioned, as well as a forum for critical discussion. The event brings together a varied group of visitors, artists and critics from home and abroad. Through collaboration between local, national and international art and research institutes, DEAF attempts to generate a synergy of thought among different disciplines about media technology. V2_ has presented DEAF in Rotterdam since 1994. Its forerunner, the Manifestation for the Unstable Media, was held annually at V2_'s previous location in 's-Hertogenbosch (NL) since 1986.
Each festival has a specific theme, which structures the contents of the event. These themes make it possible to investigate specific aspects of new technological developments in a more focused way.