About Beta
Building Ireland's
Digital Art
Ecosystem
Beta is a platform for art, technology and society.
Founded by Aisling Murray and The Digital Hub, Beta was established to create new ways for artists, researchers and audiences to engage with emerging technologies through creativity, debate and experimentation.
Since launching in 2023, Beta has grown from an annual festival into a year-round ecosystem supporting artistic development, public engagement and critical dialogue.
Today, Beta works across exhibitions, performances, residencies, research programmes, public events, artist development initiatives and international collaborations.
Beta
Framework
An Ecosystem for art, technology and society
Beta operates through three interconnected strands that support artists, engage audiences and shape conversations around digital culture:
Beta
Community
Building a connected digital arts ecosystem.
Artist networks, open studios, resources, opportunities and the Irish Digital Art Directory.
Beta
Future
Building a better future through art, technology and public discourse.
Research, residencies, artist development and critical conversations shaping the future of digital culture.
Beta
Programme
Public encounters with art and technology.
Exhibitions, performances, installations and events that bring emerging technologies into the public realm.
What we do
The festival takes place across Dublin city with the anchor point in The Digital Hub campus where the main exhibitions and conference take place.
The Digital Hub made a five-year commitment to the festival (2023 - 2028) and the festival is now also an associate Festival of Project Arts Centre. Additional supporters and partners have included: Research Ireland, NCAD Gallery. Creative Futures Academy, Goethe-Institut Irland, Ambassade de France en Irlande, The British Council, ADAPT Research Centre, The Arts Council of Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, SoSimpatico Productions, Diageo, Roe & Co, Rascals, Luckys, Pallas Projects and Studios, IMMA Living Canvas, Dublin Port Company.
Why Beta Matters
Ireland is home to many of the world's leading technology companies and a rapidly growing digital sector.
Yet there are still limited cultural spaces where people can critically engage with the technologies shaping contemporary life.
Beta creates opportunities for artists, researchers and the public to explore these technologies through creativity, experimentation and dialogue.
By supporting artistic practice and public participation, Beta helps build a more informed, imaginative and inclusive technological future.
Identity
The artist Leon Butler was commissioned to imagine what the identity of a festival of art and technology could be and he created an artistic response utilising a custom machine learning to generate a new font - he corrupted the data set with unusual fonts to lean into the more uncanny and imperfections of the type. The final logo almost looks hand drawn or screen printed with beautifully imperfect edges - this juxtaposition of cutting-edge technology and human creativity is exactly what we want to showcase and explore with the festival.
The homepage of the website features a commission from the artist and designer Farouk Alao.
He is an artist specialising in 3D motion and web design, driven by the possibilities these mediums offer for immersive and interactive experiences. He drew inspiration from nature, his world, and human emotions, his vision explores the intersection of reality and imagination.
The artists core concept behind the site and motion piece is positioning Beta Festival which is represented by the Beta Cube as a centre point in which art, technology and creativity revolve. He developed the Beta Cube in response to Leon Butler's Beta logo design.
Irish Digital Art Resource
Over the past number of years, Beta has brought artists, technologists and audiences together through our annual festival and year-round programming. Now, we’re taking the next step.
We’re building a shared infrastructure for digital art in Ireland, starting with the launch of the Irish Digital Art Directory and an expanded programme of community activity. We’re currently inviting artists and researchers to join the first phase of the Irish Digital Art Directory.
From AI and immersive media to sound, code and experimental practices, the field is expanding quickly, but it can often feel fragmented, with few shared spaces to connect, collaborate and be visible. We’ll be sharing industry news, opportunities and opportunities to connect through our monthly newsletter and growing online platform.
If you’d like to be part of our community, sign up below:
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