The Media Architecture Biennale is the world’s premier event on media architecture, urban interaction design, and urban informatics. It brings together architects, artists and designers, leading thinkers on urban design, key industry and government representatives as well as community activists. Together, they explore the design and role of media in the built environment and its implications for urban communities and ecosystems.

MAB20 consists of a series of events, meet-ups and publications taking place on- and offline between March 2019 and July 2021. A final event including an award show, workshops and a conference with keynotes and an academic track, is scheduled from July 28th – July 2nd, 2021 to take place in Amsterdam and Utrecht.

Previous editions were organized in Vienna (2010), Aarhus (2012, 2014), Sydney (2016) and Beijing (2018)

MAB20 is organized by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and the Urban Interfaces Group at Utrecht University, in collaboration with the International Media Architecture Institute.  

The event will be put together with a broad variety of local and international partner organizations such as Marineterrein Amsterdam, Pakhuis de Zwijger, the Amsterdam Creative Industries Network, Campus Amsterdam, Master Digital Design, Archis, Amsterdam Design Centre, OASC Open and Agile Smart Cities, Digital Placemaking Institute, Urban Media Art Academy, ARIAS The Amsterdam Research Institute of the Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam University of the Arts.

Calls for Papers, MAB Awards and MAB Student Awards are open for The Media Architecture Biennale!

Call for Papers

We cordially invite you to submit your contribution to the Media Architecture Biennale 2020 (MAB20) themed #FuturesImplied – originally planned for the fall of 2020 – which will now take place on June 28th – July 2nd, 2021 in Amsterdam and Utrecht.

The Media Architecture Biennale is the world’s premier event on media architecture, urban interaction design, and urban informatics. It brings together architects, artists and designers, leading thinkers on urban design, key industry and government representatives as well as community activists. Together, they explore the design and role of media in the built environment and its implications for urban communities and ecosystems.

MAB20 invites papers from academics, students, and industry practitioners that align with the theme Futures Implied and the sub-themes described below. The paper contributions should address current practices, discuss theoretical approaches, or present novel research that explores and further develop our understanding of media architecture through relevant case studies, design processes, and community and industry examples.

Deadline: 25 January, 2021

Call for Outstanding Media Architecture – MAB Awards

We are pleased to announce the fifth call of the Media Architecture Biennale Awards for outstanding projects at the intersection of architecture, urban design and planning, media, and interaction design.

This call targets projects that are already built or realized except if your projects fit the category “Future Trends and Prototypes.” We particularly call for projects that match this year’s Biennale theme of Futures Implied.

Please note also that this is NOT a call for art installations to be exhibited at the Media Architecture Biennale (However, if you think that you have an exciting installation for MAB20 – please see details below).

Submission deadline: 1 February 2021

Call for MAB Student Awards

The Media Architecture Biennale 2020 (MAB20) invites students to send in their projects for the MAB Student Awards. An internationally acclaimed jury will select nominees and winners in five categories. A selection of projects will also be presented in an on-site exhibition that takes place from June 28th to July 2nd 2021 in Amsterdam. Awards will be given out during a special event during MAB20. We especially encourage submissions that address the Biennale’s theme of Futures Implied and demonstrate the implications of media technologies for urban development, the design of our public spaces, and the well-being of the ecosystem at large. Entries for the Student Awards should take the form of a poster explaining the project, optionally accompanied by a video explaining or showcasing the project in action.

Submissions close – sharp: 1 April 2021 

For more information, visit MAB20's website. 

At MAB20 we want to open up this debate by bringing out desirable futures that media architects can contribute to. How can media architecture trigger social sustainability and citizen’s digital rights, collective action and new dynamics in public spaces? How can it help to balance between consumption and sustainability, and reconcile the broader interests of humans with those of non-humans and the broader natural ecologies in our cities? And how can it catalyse change towards sustainable mobility and consumption patterns, bringing out more circular economies?

Topics include:

The Aesthetics and Poetics of Responsive Urban Spaces

Citizens’ digital rights in the era of platform ecologies

Playful & Artistic Civic Engagement

Restorative Cities

More-Than-Human Cities

MAB20 is organized by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and the [urban interfaces] group at Utrecht University, in collaboration with the Media Architecture Institute.

For more information, visit https://mab20.mediaarchitecture.org/ or contact at: [email protected].

Top image courtesy of MAB20

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