SIGGRAPH for Peace, July 29, Denver
Appointed SIGGRAPH 2024 Global Diplomat Chair, Nicolas Henchoz, Director of the EPFL+ECAL Lab, will present the new initiative SIGGRAPH for Peace in Denver, during the world’s largest conference dedicated to computer graphics and interactive techniques.
On July 29, he will welcome world leading personalities to discuss novel perspectives and learn from real-life cases. This unique event aims to unveil how emerging technologies can open prospects for essential contemporary issues like health, environment and peace.
For the past 50 years, SIGGRAPH has brought together the global computer graphics community. In 2024, the conference taking place in Denver from July 28 to August 1, will focus on a new initiative featuring graphics’ global impact. Led by the Global Diplomat Chair, SIGGRAPH for Peace intends to demonstrate how digital innovation can provide new forms of sustainable impact for society.
“Computer graphics and interactive techniques reveals major perspectives of impact on citizens, business, and the planet. SIGGRAPH opens a new opportunity to rethink digital innovation frameworks to reach this impact,” Nicolas Henchoz said. “Overspecialization has led to tech-driven innovation, addressing the identified problems and business opportunities next door. It’s time to think more about the field of application with large and sustainable needs, like environment, health, and peace, and also to include human perception and cultural dimension to foster adoption,” he added.
SIGGRAPH for Peace gathers prestigious personalities to discuss how the world of computer graphics can foster new solutions to build a better future with technology. These panelists include :
- Yves Daccord, CEO of the International Red Cross (2010-2020) and current chairman of Principles for Peace
- Andres Burbano, SIGGRAPH 2024 Conference Chair
- Yannis Ioannidis, ACM President and Professor of Informatics & Telecom at University of Athens
In addition to panelists, SIGGRAPH for Peace features exclusive audiovisual contributions from experts, including Moon Ribas, artist and co-founder of the Cyborg.org Foundation, and Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Columbia University faculty, former Under-Secretary-General at the United Nations, President of the International Crisis Group. All interviews have been led by Nicolas Henchoz and Winka Angelrath.
At the centre of the international pavilion, the installation Open Books, developed by the EPFL+ECAL Lab and the Photo Elysée Museum, invites the visitors to delve into an exceptional photobook collection thanks to interaction design research and AI tools. On this occasion, it features a new book selection curated specifically for SIGGRAPH 2024 by the museum’s curator, covering peace, conflict, health, and environment – core topics of the Global Diplomat’s initiative.
This installation shows how design research can take advantage of emerging technologies to conceive new digital experience with sustainable impact, providing effective implementation of disruptive services and understanding end users’ adoption factors. The project is the result of a two-year research collaboration, involving designers, engineers, curators, psychologists.