The 2026 edition of Vienna Digital Cultures (VDC) explores the question: Alone or Together?

What forms of togetherness or individuality are possible when digital technologies mediate how we relate to one another? Today, solitude and connection no longer function as opposites, but increasingly overlap under the conditions of digital life.

Privacy is difficult to secure, even as we remain in constant circulation: visible, yet not necessarily recognized. What does it mean to belong when algorithms nudge us toward conformity? And as conflicts unfold around the globe, people endure violence in physical isolation while the world watches onscreen. Even after death, digital traces continue to circulate, complicating the boundary between presence and absence.

As these and other examples suggest, digital mediation reorganizes the ground on which both solitude and togetherness are constituted. VDC 2026 brings together artists and thinkers working at the intersection of technology and society to examine these conditions. Through artworks, performance, and discussion, the festival explores what forms of connection and solitude are possible today. This trailer offers a small glimpse of what's in store. 


The 2026 edition of VDC opens on 21 May 2026 at FOTO ARSENAL WIEN, unfolding with an extensive programme during the opening weekend from 22 to 24 May. Across exhibition spaces, public locations, and digital platforms, VDC 2026 will present installations, performances, talks, screenings, and club nights. The accompanying exhibition Lu Yang – The DOKU Trilogy will be on view at FOTO ARSENAL WIEN from 22 May to 6 September 2026.

Music by Peter Kutin.

Video fragments from:
Peter Kutin and MONOCOLOR, 'clusterfuck' (2020)
Lu Yang
Joaquina Salgado
Kolbeinn Hugi, 'BeastQuest' (2025), '4Xtacy' (2023), 'Earth Day' (2022)
Apex Anima & FRZNTE
Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimei, 'Open World' (2025)

Courtesy the artists.