DocLab: Nervous Systems
With the theme Nervous Systems, IDFA’s new media section returns to the heart of Amsterdam for 10 days of in-person digital and XR programming. Referring playfully to our nervous systems—both inside the body and in the reality that surrounds us—the program focuses on experiential storytelling through different senses, art forms, and technologies. Expect digital art installations, multisensory experiences, live events, motion capture performances, and the ever-expanding metaverse, as we collectively ask: How does it feel to be alive? How can we experience the world? These questions are posed against the backdrop of the nervous times we live in, in which the biggest challenges we face today are systemic in nature.
Below, you can explore all there is to see and do from the exhibition to performances & live events, including How to Attend.
Exhibition
Register online for a free entry ticket.
Flemish Cultural Center De Brakke Grond is the main location of the IDFA DocLab program. Here you can play, discover, and experience a selection of the best new interactive documentaries, XR installations, and performances. Explore the works in the exhibition.
VR Gallery
Regular ticket sale.
DocLab presents a rich selection of VR projects to immerse yourself in. There are 6 experiences to choose from. Step into a monsoon, or into a world where organic beings and plastics become one, or go on a virtual night out that could just end up terribly. The choice is yours. Check out the VR titles.
Special Installations & Performances
Regular ticket sale.
A VR trip to an illegal rave in the late 80's, a collective sleep ceremony, and an intimate one-on-one performance are all part of this year’s special installations and VR performances. You can experience these works in Arti et Amicitiae and De Brakke Grond. More info & tickets.
Live Events
Regular ticket sale.
DocLab’s Live Events are one-of-a-kind themed evenings with live screenings, artist talks, and interactive experiments. Dive deeper into the world of digital art and immersive documentaries, meet the creators, and hear the stories behind the projects in the official 2022 IDFA DocLab selection. Go to the Live Events lineup.
Motion-Capture Stage
Regular ticket sale + free walk-in opportunities
ONX and IDFA DocLab are collaborating for the first time to present a motion capture stage at the festival. Live performances and workshops invite audiences and professionals to explore the artistic potential of mocap technology for documentary art. Check out the ONX + IDFA DocLab program.
