Call for Speakers & Artists
16/18–24 August, Timișoara, Romania
Where the Future Is Presented
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1. Invitation
The Transhumanist Summer Festival is seeking visionary speakers, artists, designers, architects, musicians, and creatives of all kinds. If your work engages with emerging technologies, ethical considerations, or speculative futures—and embraces innovative expression—we invite you to apply. During the Festival, Timișoara becomes a European stage for forward-thinking ideas, convening academics, industry experts, researchers, and the general public to explore the nexus of AI, biotech, sustainable innovation, advanced architecture, longevity, new forms of energy, and transhumanism. Our mission is to present a sane, inclusive, and ethical vision of transhumanism, exploring how technological progress can benefit society as a whole.
2. Festival Overview
Summit (Talks & Panels): A formal conference featuring academics, industry leaders, visionaries, and policy experts discussing broad, future-facing topics—from gene editing and AI to quantum leaps and ethical frameworks.
Summer School: A week of hands-on exploration—covering transhumanist themes in workshops, Q&As, and poster competitions—that culminates in participants presenting futuristic concepts.
Expos & Showcases: Ongoing exhibitions featuring art, design, architecture, and emerging technologies, where attendees can experience pioneering projects firsthand.
Film Screenings & Performances: Evenings devoted to sci-fi classics, documentaries, and live shows (e.g., concerts, dance, theatrical performances, VR experiences).
Summer School: A week of hands-on exploration—covering transhumanist themes in workshops, Q&As, and poster competitions—that culminates in participants presenting futuristic concepts.
Expos & Showcases: Ongoing exhibitions featuring art, design, architecture, and emerging technologies, where attendees can experience pioneering projects firsthand.
Film Screenings & Performances: Evenings devoted to sci-fi classics, documentaries, and live shows (e.g., concerts, dance, theatrical performances, VR experiences).
3. Thematic Guidance
Speakers
Our Summit sessions invite talks and panel contributions focused on...
Beyond Humanism: Ethical and philosophical dimensions of human enhancement and the evolving definitions of “human.”
AI & the Future of Creativity: How AI influences literature, visual arts, music, architecture, and innovation.
Biotech & Longevity: Advances in life-extension research, anti-aging technologies, gene editing, and synthetic biology.
Designing Sustainable Transhumanist Cities: Architecture and planning for resilient, technology-driven communities.
Ethical AI Development: Balancing innovation with responsibility, transparency, and human rights.
Future of Work & Education: Adapting employment, learning, and societal frameworks in the post-automation era.
Future of Energy: Fusion, hydrogen, renewables, and new storage technologies for a sustainable future.
Policy for an Enhanced Future: Regulatory and governance structures guiding responsible human enhancement.
Quantum Leaps: The social and human implications of emerging quantum computing capabilities.
Beyond Humanism: Ethical and philosophical dimensions of human enhancement and the evolving definitions of “human.”
AI & the Future of Creativity: How AI influences literature, visual arts, music, architecture, and innovation.
Biotech & Longevity: Advances in life-extension research, anti-aging technologies, gene editing, and synthetic biology.
Designing Sustainable Transhumanist Cities: Architecture and planning for resilient, technology-driven communities.
Ethical AI Development: Balancing innovation with responsibility, transparency, and human rights.
Future of Work & Education: Adapting employment, learning, and societal frameworks in the post-automation era.
Future of Energy: Fusion, hydrogen, renewables, and new storage technologies for a sustainable future.
Policy for an Enhanced Future: Regulatory and governance structures guiding responsible human enhancement.
Quantum Leaps: The social and human implications of emerging quantum computing capabilities.
Artists
We welcome artists (visual, digital, performance), architects, designers, musicians, and multidisciplinary creators whose work resonates with transhumanist or post-human themes. As guidance, consider Stefan Sorgner’s 10 Principles of Post-human Art, presented briefly here:
Monstrous: Challenge classical ideals by embracing forms considered abnormal, grotesque, or beyond the conventional.
Hybrid: Merge organic, technological, human, or other elements into new aesthetic forms.
Becoming: Celebrate change, metamorphosis, and process over static finished products.
Amorphous: Explore formlessness and fluidity—shapes, media, or bodies in constant transformation.
Twisting: Reinterpret, subvert, or “twist” past artistic traditions rather than discarding them outright.
Relationality: Highlight connections and interdependencies—between humans, nature, technology, or networks.
Bodily Plurality: Showcase diverse, modifiable, or enhanced bodies that expand beyond a single “norm.”
Superhuman (Superheroism): Reflect on exceeding human limitations—physically, intellectually, spiritually—critiquing or celebrating the “superhuman” ideal.
Smoothness: Embrace technologically-refined designs and streamlined aesthetics, personalized rather than universal.
Kawaii (Cuteness): Incorporate endearing or playful elements that challenge traditional hierarchies of “high” art versus pop culture, and explore empowerment through cuteness.
We encourage submissions that fuse one or more of these principles in original, speculative, interactive, or provocative ways—anything that sparks meaningful dialogue on how human identity and expression evolve in tandem with accelerating technology.
Monstrous: Challenge classical ideals by embracing forms considered abnormal, grotesque, or beyond the conventional.
Hybrid: Merge organic, technological, human, or other elements into new aesthetic forms.
Becoming: Celebrate change, metamorphosis, and process over static finished products.
Amorphous: Explore formlessness and fluidity—shapes, media, or bodies in constant transformation.
Twisting: Reinterpret, subvert, or “twist” past artistic traditions rather than discarding them outright.
Relationality: Highlight connections and interdependencies—between humans, nature, technology, or networks.
Bodily Plurality: Showcase diverse, modifiable, or enhanced bodies that expand beyond a single “norm.”
Superhuman (Superheroism): Reflect on exceeding human limitations—physically, intellectually, spiritually—critiquing or celebrating the “superhuman” ideal.
Smoothness: Embrace technologically-refined designs and streamlined aesthetics, personalized rather than universal.
Kawaii (Cuteness): Incorporate endearing or playful elements that challenge traditional hierarchies of “high” art versus pop culture, and explore empowerment through cuteness.
We encourage submissions that fuse one or more of these principles in original, speculative, interactive, or provocative ways—anything that sparks meaningful dialogue on how human identity and expression evolve in tandem with accelerating technology.
4. Selection Criteria
Relevance: Aligns with the Festival’s focus on technology, futurism, ethical reflection, and transhumanist discourse.
Originality: Presents novel insights, creative perspectives, or boundary-pushing concepts.
Inclusivity & Ethics: Demonstrates a commitment to responsible innovation, social impact, and broad accessibility.
Engagement: Proposals that encourage interaction, provoke debate, or invite active participation are particularly welcomed.
Originality: Presents novel insights, creative perspectives, or boundary-pushing concepts.
Inclusivity & Ethics: Demonstrates a commitment to responsible innovation, social impact, and broad accessibility.
Engagement: Proposals that encourage interaction, provoke debate, or invite active participation are particularly welcomed.
5. How to Apply
Speakers: Provide a short abstract (up to 300 words) detailing your proposed talk or panel topic, plus any notable publications or experiences.
Artists & Creatives: Submit a portfolio or concept outline showcasing your approach—images, video links, or documentation (if applicable). Include a short text describing how your work reflects or interacts with the principles of post-human art and/or transhumanist themes.
Contact & Biography: Share a brief bio (100–150 words) highlighting your background, relevant experience, and (if applicable) any key affiliations (universities, organizations, studios).
Technical / Logistical Requirements (if any): Indicate needed equipment for presentations or installations (e.g., projectors, VR headsets, performance space, special audio setups, etc.).
Submission Deadline: Please submit your materials by June 15, 2025 via email at andrei@transhumanist-festival.com. Selections will be communicated by June 30, 2025.
Artists & Creatives: Submit a portfolio or concept outline showcasing your approach—images, video links, or documentation (if applicable). Include a short text describing how your work reflects or interacts with the principles of post-human art and/or transhumanist themes.
Contact & Biography: Share a brief bio (100–150 words) highlighting your background, relevant experience, and (if applicable) any key affiliations (universities, organizations, studios).
Technical / Logistical Requirements (if any): Indicate needed equipment for presentations or installations (e.g., projectors, VR headsets, performance space, special audio setups, etc.).
Submission Deadline: Please submit your materials by June 15, 2025 via email at andrei@transhumanist-festival.com. Selections will be communicated by June 30, 2025.
