The upcoming edition of DOK Neuland, part of the Leipzig International Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, will revolve around the theme “Immaterial”, highlighting how the virtual is not as ethereal as it may seem. Curated by Dana Melaver, the exhibition will bring together eight works that explore the physical, political, and social impact of digital technologies, from water and energy consumption to their role in warfare and power structures.

The exhibition, composed of four virtual reality experiences, one 360° film, two media art pieces, and one augmented reality installation, will be open to the public free of charge from October 28 to November 2, 2025, at Westkreuz/Heilandskirche in the Plagwitz district. Only one piece, Revival Roadshow, will be shown at the Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig.

Highlights include Geomancy, an experimental science fiction film by French artist Sybil Montet that combines computer-generated graphics with real-time weather data; Downfall of the Virtual Human by director Jimmy Vu, which addresses patriarchal dynamics in digital spaces; and Another Place by Domenico Singha Pedroli, which tells in VR the story of Renée, a trans woman who fled Thailand to seek asylum in France. Also featured are The Dollhouse, an interactive animation about power relations within the home; Volume, an audiovisual journey generated by artificial intelligence; and For Iron I Gave Gold, an AR installation by artist Keke Opata addressing electronic waste and neo-colonial dependencies. Completing the selection is Blindspot, a video sculpture by Justin Urbach that reflects on hybrid human–machine vision.

DOK Neuland will also draw closer to DOK Exchange XR, the industry program dedicated to interactive and immersive storytelling, which will take place on October 30 and 31 at the same venue. The gathering will include conferences, panels, project showcases, and a prototyping zone, with a strong focus on ethics, memory, innovation, and digital literacy. Experts such as Rūta Kazlauskaitė, Katharina Haverich, Marcel van Brakel, and May Abdalla will headline the keynotes. In addition, projects in development from Europe, Taiwan, and Canada will be presented, fostering knowledge exchange around distribution and the future of immersive arts in collaboration with institutions such as the British Council and CPH:DOX/LAB.