AVARA 2024: Art & Tech <3 Wellbeing event showcases innovative ways to promote wellbeing by combining culture and technology

The program features demos, workshops, and performances, giving attendees the chance to experience the innovative possibilities of art and technology firsthand. This year, AVARA also highlights the wellbeing benefits of game art.

AVARA is an annual event organized by the Art Innovations research program at Oulu University of Applied Sciences and is part of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture program. The event brings together researchers, artists, and tech professionals to explore the societal impact of art, technology, and innovations.

– “Art & Tech, the fusion of art and technology, is a broad phenomenon. To better define the subject, we select a specific theme each year. This year, we are focusing on wellbeing,” explains Julia Heikkinen, the project manager from Oulu University of Applied Sciences.

The core idea of the AVARA event is that, despite its expert-driven foundation, attendees also get to experience and experiment with new forms of art through demos, artistic performances, and workshops where they can participate in designing performances.

– “This is not an event where you just sit and listen to lectures,” Julia emphasizes.

This year, participants will, for example, get to observe game developers at work and even try out games themselves.

– “We’re discussing the wellbeing impacts of games. The audience can play games ranging from board games to light-based art installations,” Julia says.

The driving idea behind the Art Innovations research program is to connect artists, researchers, and tech professionals to create something new.

– “We strongly believe that diversity and the intersection of different fields generate innovation. AVARA provides a unique platform for fostering this kind of collaboration,” Julia states.

This year, the event also explores how art could play a more permanent role in healthcare settings and what new forms of collaboration might be developed.

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• Antti Ikonen showcases a generative sound art installation developed with students at Aalto University. This piece, which reacts to movement in the space, is currently in use at Helsinki’s new Children’s Hospital.
• Harold Hejazi, a Canadian artist and game designer based in Helsinki, presents The Adventures of HarriHarri, Episode Three. This video game performance tells the story of HarriHarri’s life in virtual Helsinki. A newcomer to Finland, HarriHarri anticipates a warm welcome but faces continuous challenges in adapting to Finnish society. In this live game video, audience choices influence the storyline, making every performance unique. The piece was initially produced with support from Stage for Contemporary Performance and funded by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
• Jaakko Kemppainen, an experienced game designer, discusses the wellbeing impacts of games and their status as an art form. Games can address environmental and societal issues, portray diverse lives, and express emotions beyond entertainment.
• Dawn Prescott from the UK’s Lime Art Foundation shares how the organization has secured funding for arts and cultural projects in hospitals.

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Julia Heikkinen, Project Manager, Oulu University of Applied Sciences
Email: julia.heikkinen@oamk.fi | Phone: +358 50 528 8897

For more details about the event, full program, and speaker introductions, visit: https://oamk.fi/en/productions/avara-2024/