REFRESH 2026 in San Francisco
REFRESH 2026 in San Francisco, running from March 4 to 7, 2026, is a festival exploring the intersection of Arts, Design & Technology. This festival edition is a partnership between the Department of Design and the Immersive Arts Space of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), and Swissnex in San Francisco. In keynotes, masterclasses and an exhibition will bring together acclaimed designers, artists, and researchers from Switzerland and the US to envision possible futures and new fields of action for design and the arts.
We are living in times when not only humans and other beings but also machines make sense of and act on the world. Despite the fascination with automation, computational systems, and machines, it is important to examine the social frictions and ecological costs that may result from the proliferation of these algorithmic agents.
The international REFRESH 2026 runs under the title «Algorithmic Entanglements» and discusses the complex interplay between current technological developments, society, and the well-being of the planet. How can we act responsibly and inclusively under the given circumstances? And how can the arts and design contribute to this question?
The selected projects disentangle, offer new perspectives, reconnect, call for action, and speculate on futures and challenges to come. They underline the crucial role of artistic research in responsibly shaping the understanding of today's world.
