CIFRA Artistic Vision Council
An international advisory body supporting the long-term artistic development of CIFRA was established in 2026 to bring together leading voices in media art, curatorial practice, and digital culture.
Working alongside the CIFRA team, the Council contributes independent expertise and international perspective to the platform's development — from seasonal programming and editorial initiatives to partnerships, educational projects, and the architecture of the CIFRA Award.
The Council operates in a consultative role, contributing to CIFRA's strategic and curatorial direction. Final decisions remain with the platform's editorial and leadership teams. Its work is carried out through six annual sessions, expert input, and written recommendations — ensuring sustained engagement rather than symbolic affiliation.
The members of the Council are appointed annually to maintain an open dialogue between CIFRA and prominent experts, curators, and visionaries representing the global art community.
Author
Mission
Maintaining a living connection between CIFRA and the global community of artists, curators, researchers, and cultural institutions.
Bringing expert insight into emerging forms of media art — from digital practices to sound art and experimental cinema.
Helping shape meaningful themes and curatorial directions that guide CIFRA’s seasonal programmes and editorial projects.
Advising on the language, terminology, and criteria used to understand and evaluate contemporary media art.
Offering a forward-looking perspective through the exchange of ideas and discussions that help imagine the future of art and technology.
Chair
Olga Shishko
Chief Art Curator at CIFRA. Her work focuses on the history, preservation, and institutional development of media art — from early net art and expanded cinema to contemporary digital practices. Curator and media art researcher working across Europe and the Middle East. Founding director of MediaArtLab Center for Culture and Art (now at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice).
Members
Daniela Arriado
Curator and cultural strategist working at the intersection of contemporary art and emerging technologies. Founder and Artistic Director of Screen City Biennial, dedicated to the expanded moving image, and Vice Chair of IKT – International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art. She advises institutions and cities on integrating digital art into public programmes and developing international curatorial collaborations.
David Elliott
Curator, writer, and cultural historian with more than four decades of institutional leadership. Former Director of the Museum of Modern Art Oxford, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, founding Director of Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, and the first Director of Istanbul Modern. His curatorial work focuses on global perspectives in contemporary art and cross-cultural dialogue.
Oliver Grau
Media art historian and digital humanities scholar known for pioneering research on immersive media and digital image culture. Founder of the Archive of Digital Art and initiator of the MediaArtHistories conference series. His work focuses on the history, theory, and preservation of media art and digital cultural heritage.
Martin Honzik
Artist, curator, and cultural manager. He serves as Curator for Artistic Projects at the Department of Culture of the State of Upper Austria and Co-Curator of OÖ KulturExpo 2027. Previously, Honzik held positions of Chief Curator of the Ars Electronica Festival and Co-Managing Director of the Ars Electronica Festival, Prix Ars Electronica and Export.
Lev Manovich
Cultural theorist and pioneer of digital media studies. Presidential Professor at the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), and founder of the Cultural Analytics Lab. His research explores how software, data, and artificial intelligence reshape contemporary culture and visual media.
Christiane Paul
Curator of Digital Art at the Whitney Museum of American Art and Professor Emerita at The New School. Curator, writer, and scholar specialising in digital and media art. Her work focuses on how technology-based art is presented, interpreted, and integrated into museum collections and exhibitions.