Digital culture forum "Digital Culture - Living via Avatars?"

The event discussed whether digital technologies can connect art and culture more closely or if it is more of a passing trend, and what are the pros and cons of digitization. How can the culture, tourism and education sectors benefit from digitization? Do we have enough knowledge and skills to implement digital technologies in the most effective and affordable way possible? Are our experiences in the digital world comparable to what we experience in the physical world? How does digital culture help reduce our footprint?

Please find the photos of the forum here. (Photographer Jana Laigo /Barefoot Studio)

Presentations from the forum:

Indrek Ibrus - What will take us to the spatial internet?

Karlo Funk - Digital Culture in Estonia – A Crab in the Shell?

Yrjö Ojasaar - Investor insight, scalable value of digital culture

Idunn Sem - The potential of artificial ignorance. Exploring intangible cultural heritage using ignorant artificial intelligence (AI)

Reigo Ahven - Music Is Avatar

The recording of the forum:

 

According to Grete Kodi, Creative Industry Advisor of the Nordic Council of Ministers Estonian office, the purpose of the forum was to raise awareness of new digital tools and functions to help entrepreneurs develop their business and to discuss the impact of the new trend on the entire creative industry.

Eva Leemet, CEO of Creative Estonia, added: "Digital solutions have increasingly penetrated our daily lives, but we still do not understand exactly how they will affect our lives. They certainly make many activities more accessible and easier, but each new one brings uncertainty at the beginning - are increasingly developing digital solutions taking work from creative people?"

Peder Haugfos, a media innovator from Norway, also participated in the forum. According to him, having a clearly recognizable and well-established brand will be even more important in the future, as the impact of artificial intelligence on the creative industries is increasing: " With AI potentially depriving creators of control over their work, high brand recognition can provide a layer of protection and assurance for both creators and consumers."

Creative industry experts from Estonia and the Nordic countries presented their keynotes at the forum: Indrek Ibrus, professor of media innovation, Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (EST), Karlo Funk, audiovisual and digital culture advisor, Estonian Ministry of Culture (EST), Yrjö Ojasaar, founder and managing partner, Venture Capital Fund Change Ventures (EST), Idunn Sem, assistant professor, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Agder (NO), and music entrepreneur and musician, CEO of Fairmus, Reigo Ahven .

The forum panellists included:
• Estonian theatre director, producer, playwright and restaurateur Peeter Jalakas
• Norwegian entrepreneur Peder Haugfos, Norwegian Center of Expertise Media
• Finnish NFT artist and sculptor Erwin Laiho
• Estonian fashion designer Xenia Joost
• Head of XR, Egle Rääsk, Blueray (EST)
• Virtual Reality creative director and producer Rein Zobel, MaruVR (EST).

The moderator of the forum was Andres Jõesaar, associate professor of Media Policies, Baltic Film and Media School (EST)

The forum was organized by Creative Estonia, Creative Europe desk in Estonia, the Nordic Council of Ministers office in Estonia, the Erasmus+ project Creative Digital Transformation.

The agenda of the forum can be found here.