As part of the City of Oulu’s work in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Media Arts, AVARA is an annual flagship Art & Tech event organized by Oulu University of Applied Sciences Oamk’s Arts Innovation research programme. The event brings together leading voices from art, culture and technology, offering inspiring keynotes, discussions, workshops and demos that explore the role of technology in the future of creative work. The 2026 edition of AVARA will take place on 18–20 November 2026, as part of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme.

The 2026 theme, Art & Tech <3 Space, invites creators to explore space in all its multidimensional meanings: physical, conceptual, virtual, social and cosmic. Space can be a room, a realm, a gap, an interface, an atmosphere or an inner landscape. The theme encourages reflections on how space, technology, and creative practice shape one another now and in the future.

Open call – Exhibit at AVARA 2026

We welcome exhibition proposals for artworks, performances, workshops, demos and keynotes that interpret the Space theme in original, bold and unexpected ways, whether through cosmic imagination, digital environments, spatial experiences or entirely new approaches.

We welcome showcases related to, for example:

• New forms of audiovisual storytelling
• Emerging technologies in art, design and experience creation
• Innovative approaches to interaction and immersive environments
• Critical, speculative or poetic explorations of the meanings of space

Please apply by filling in the form on the AVARA website.

Programme and Registration for AVARA 2026

The programme and registration instructions for AVARA 2026: Art & Tech <3 Space will be published on the AVARA website in autumn 2026.

Contact information

For questions related to the upcoming AVARA 2026 event, please contact:

Event coordinator Sofimaaria Ranta (she/her)
Arts Innovation research programme
Oulu University of Applied Sciences
sofimaaria.ranta@oamk.fi