News

The Art & Technology Lab (AT Lab) of the Korea National University of Arts (K-ARTS) has announced that its interactive, participatory VR experience ⟪Scarecrow: Rekindle⟫ has been officially invited to the Campus Exhibition of the 2025 Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria.

 ARS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL 2025

First held in 1979, the Ars Electronica Festival is the world’s largest media art festival, exploring the intersection of art, technology, and social discourse. This year’s edition—under the theme “PANIC – yes/no”—examines the role of art and creativity in confronting fear and uncertainty in a rapidly changing world. The Campus program, featuring 37 universities and 14 departments from the University of Arts Linz, will showcase the experimental and forward-looking works of emerging creators across the globe.

Scarecrow: Rekindle invites audiences into a VRChat-based shared virtual world where multiple users can join simultaneously to participate in a collective narrative experience. Within this immersive environment, participants work together to rekindle the heart of a scarecrow, break rocks to release blocked streams, and revive flowers on a barren land by gathering crystals. The piece delivers a powerful message: “When we come together, we can comfort one another and reignite hope in the world.” The work has already received international acclaim, having won the Best Immersive Theatre Award at the 2025 Raindance Film Festival in the United Kingdom.

POSTER ⟪Scarecrow: Rekindle⟫ 

“Scarecrow: Rekindle is a VR metaverse performance that rekindles hope through collaboration and creativity in the face of despair and oppression,” said the Ars Electronica Festival committee.

“As audiences work together through puzzles and rituals to free the scarecrow and breathe new life into a gray world, the piece powerfully conveys how collective imagination can overcome cultural and social oppression.” 

※ Festival program reference link : 

https://ars.electronica.art/panic/en/view/scarecrow-rekindle-20e38ddb450c811dab03d5df050a8e08/

AT Lab Director Seungmoo Lee, professor at K-ARTS School of Film, said, “We are honored by this invitation, which recognizes AT Lab’s ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of creativity through rapidly evolving technologies.”

The Art & Technology Lab (AT Lab) at K-ARTS is a creative research institute dedicated to the convergence of science, culture, art, and education. Its previous works—including Scarecrow and Rain Fruits—have been showcased and awarded at major global film festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, and Tribeca. In 2025 alone, AT Lab’s achievements include an official selection of Fly To You at SXSW (South by Southwest) in March, the Raindance Film Festival award for Scarecrow: Rekindle in June, and now the invitation to Ars Electronica—further validating K-ARTS’ excellence in global creative convergence and arts education. Additionally, the lab is leading the future of AI-driven storytelling and cultural technology, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) through the “Global Cultural Technology (CT) Talent Development Project.” AT Lab is also collaborating with Studio Dragon on an AI drama production initiative, pioneering R&D and industrial applications in creative technology.