The Lucid Dreams Festival showcases what is possible with today’s media technologies. Students from the Bachelor in Media Technology and Master in Digital Design programs at the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten, alumni, and guest artists are given the opportunity to present their artistic projects to a broad audience. These projects form an integral part of the students’ education and are supported by a team of (external) lecturers. The curatorial direction is led by FH Prof. Mag. Markus Wintersberger, while Dipl.-Ing. Christian Munk is in charge of program management. Both in preparation and throughout the festival itself, teaching, research, and development intertwine and inspire one another.

The projects cover a wide range of topics, including artificial intelligence as well as virtual, extended, and augmented reality (VR, XR, AR). Through interactive spatial installations at the Bühne am Hof, these themes are transformed from abstract concepts into tangible works of art and immersive experiences. The works may appear unfinished but this is intentional. They are meant to demonstrate that digital media are in continuous motion—ever evolving, ever transforming. The space at the Bühne am Hof becomes a theatre, a stage, and—through its technical apparatus—a digital-analog continuum that opens up new horizons of experience. There is no predefined path through the Lucid Dreams parcours. Visitors are invited to discover their own route and to experience the exhibition in a personal way, also by entering into dialogue with the artists.