This Focus was held on the occasion of the 28th edition of the International Symposium of Electronic Arts (ISEA), held this year in France for the first time in 20 years. With 60 participating countries, the ISEA is a major event on the global digital creation scene. In these times of global crisis - health, ecological, economic and democratic - the theme of this year's event was Symbiosis. The Focus enabled the guest delegation to discover a rich selection of works, project presentations and round table discussions organised as part of the symposium. 

Located in the Marais district of Paris, Topographie de l'Art is an exhibition space dedicated to contemporary art. Dominique Moulon, curator of this exhibition, introduced participants to the works and artists of the "Fusion des possibles" exhibition, an ISEA2023 partner event. In a veritable scientific laboratory, the delegation discovered works from converging practices, expressing the symbiosis of ideas and forms. 

Identifying the French digital arts scene means being able to meet the people who create it: almost 50 French professionals from the sector were able to present their projects to the Digital Arts Focus delegation at professional meetings organised by the Institut Français on its premises and at the Forum des Images. All the meetings were rich in exchanges of knowledge and experience. We look forward to many more international collaborations in the near future! 

An intriguing building from the outside (a former perfume factory dating from the 1920s) now houses 250 artists' studios, and was another element in the Focus programme. Firmly rooted in Aubervilliers in the Paris suburbs, POUSH welcomes and accompanies artists and organises exhibitions and events, while developing international collaborations. The delegation, who visited the studios of artists and digital collectives such as u2p050, Julie Vacher, Justine Emard and Faye Formisano, were able to discover some singular talents during the day. 

Hosted by Clément Thibault, artistic director of ISEA2023 and Le Cube Garges, the delegation also discovered the group exhibitions "Le miroir d'un moment" and "L'étrange labo microcosmique des Oumpalous" presented at Le Cube Garges, as well as a cycle of short film screenings exploring different perspectives on the concept of symbiosis. 

For one evening, participants were invited to explore the Marais district and ISEA2023's partner galleries. Among the French digital artists presenting their work: Hugo Deverchère at Galerie Sator, Recycle Group at Galerie Tarasiève and Jacques Perconte at Galerie Charlot. 

IFdigital, the website for French digital design (digital art, immersive experience, video games, innovative books, cultural mediation and education, web creation) aims to encourage the international dissemination of these particularly dynamic and innovative sectors of the French cultural and creative industries. Many of the creations, artists and professionals encountered during the Focus program are featured on IFdigital. 

The delegation's professionals were able to meet our contacts from HACNUM, the national hybrid arts and digital cultures network, a major stakeholder in digital creation. This network aims to support transformation in the cultural sector and act as a catalyst in regional areas, bringing culture into the digital transition paradigm. 

On the last day of the Focus program, our participants, equipped with HoloLens goggles, were able to discover an immersive experience entitled "Noire" at the Centre Pompidou. Adapted from a historical essay of the same name by Tania De Montaigne, this 30-minute augmented reality work tells the story of Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old black girl who refuses to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman in segregated Alabama in the 1950s. This immersive experience was produced by Novaya studio.