The Var Digital Art Award is a biennial prize, promoted by Var Digital Art by Var Group, which aims to be the first in Italy to showcase trends in digital art.
In recent months, a scientific committee composed of professors, critics, journalists, and experts of renowned fame and expertise, has selected a shortlist of 12 artists from the excellences of our country. They were chosen to offer an in-depth perspective and narrative on the relationship between art and new technologies, showcasing facets, trends, and possibilities of the new grammar of our millennium.
In recent months, a scientific committee composed of professors, critics, journalists, and experts of renowned fame and expertise, has selected a shortlist of 12 artists from the excellences of our country. They were chosen to offer an in-depth perspective and narrative on the relationship between art and new technologies, showcasing facets, trends, and possibilities of the new grammar of our millennium.
![](https://sitecore.vargroup.com/-/media/Project/Var-Group-Tenant/Var-Group-Corporate-Website/VDA/VDA_AWARDS_16_9.png?h=1080&iar=0&w=1920&hash=7C138AF7AC93863D44F0CFC70AD4290A)
The 12 Italian artists (established, mid-career, emerging), distinguished by their education, approach, language, and research direction, were invited to participate in the VDA Award with a screen-based work, either previously published or conceived for the occasion, providing a comprehensive snapshot of digital art, both by consolidating pioneering research that has emerged for some time and by giving shape to new practices and visual alphabets.
Chiara Canali, Valentino Catricalà, Rebecca Pedrazzi, Domenico Quaranta, assisted by Davide Sarchioni (curator of VDA Award and artistic director of Var Digital Art), then voted on the 12 competing works, selecting a shortlist of 4 finalists.
The 4 selected artists for the final round of the award are Chiara Passa, Roberto Fassone, Luca Pozzi, Kamilia Kard, who will present their works on the 26th and 27th of October at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Rimini, during the Var Group Convention "Shape the present, build the future".
An expert jury, along with the audience's vote, will determine the winner of the 1st Edition of VDA Award 2023.
Chiara Canali, Valentino Catricalà, Rebecca Pedrazzi, Domenico Quaranta, assisted by Davide Sarchioni (curator of VDA Award and artistic director of Var Digital Art), then voted on the 12 competing works, selecting a shortlist of 4 finalists.
The 4 selected artists for the final round of the award are Chiara Passa, Roberto Fassone, Luca Pozzi, Kamilia Kard, who will present their works on the 26th and 27th of October at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Rimini, during the Var Group Convention "Shape the present, build the future".
An expert jury, along with the audience's vote, will determine the winner of the 1st Edition of VDA Award 2023.
The 4 finalist works
![](https://sitecore.vargroup.com/-/media/Project/Var-Group-Tenant/Var-Group-Landing/LandingVDA/Opere-2023/Fassone.png?h=1080&iar=0&w=1920&hash=ECF5740A8FED15BEB507420531EE630F)
And we thought (Led Zeppelin trilogy), 2022
by Roberto Fassone
HD Video, 20:01 min. Ed. 3 + 2 AP
In April 2021, Sineglossa and Roberto Fassone conceived Ai Lai, an artificial intelligence trained on thousands of reports of psychedelic trips written by magic mushroom users...
by Roberto Fassone
HD Video, 20:01 min. Ed. 3 + 2 AP
In April 2021, Sineglossa and Roberto Fassone conceived Ai Lai, an artificial intelligence trained on thousands of reports of psychedelic trips written by magic mushroom users...
![](https://sitecore.vargroup.com/-/media/Project/Var-Group-Tenant/Var-Group-Landing/LandingVDA/Opere-2023/Kard.png?h=1080&iar=0&w=1920&hash=1F3055E2F83480490CBB86C8D43181A8)
HERbarium - Dancing with an AI, 2023
by Kamilia Kard
Website, 3D models / AR filters, HD videos
A performative and multimedia project that combines projection and live performance, featuring an original choreography performed by dancers and enhanced through collaboration with an artificial intelligence (AI)...
by Kamilia Kard
Website, 3D models / AR filters, HD videos
A performative and multimedia project that combines projection and live performance, featuring an original choreography performed by dancers and enhanced through collaboration with an artificial intelligence (AI)...
![](https://sitecore.vargroup.com/-/media/Project/Var-Group-Tenant/Var-Group-Landing/LandingVDA/Opere-2023/Passa.png?h=1080&iar=0&w=1920&hash=682A3AFFD5321CAB87920D12B0B56847)
“Still Life”, 2019
by Chiara Passa
Virtual reality artwork (for Oculus Quest/Rift)
Exploring the processes of nature in relation to what is represented in art today through the depiction of still life: "Still Life" is a fairy tale-like narrative with surrealistic and metaphysical undertones...
by Chiara Passa
Virtual reality artwork (for Oculus Quest/Rift)
Exploring the processes of nature in relation to what is represented in art today through the depiction of still life: "Still Life" is a fairy tale-like narrative with surrealistic and metaphysical undertones...
![](https://sitecore.vargroup.com/-/media/Project/Var-Group-Tenant/Var-Group-Landing/LandingVDA/Opere-2023/Pozzi.png?h=1080&iar=0&w=1920&hash=3129135827ED7EC2E144B5E58F6C17BE)
Rosetta Mission 2022
by Luca Pozzi
VR Game Engine
The project alludes to the Rosetta Stone, an archaeological artifact that has become a crucial document for the comparison and interpretation of languages and history itself...
by Luca Pozzi
VR Game Engine
The project alludes to the Rosetta Stone, an archaeological artifact that has become a crucial document for the comparison and interpretation of languages and history itself...
The artists
Discover the artists who participated in the Var Digital Award, click and read their biographies.
![](https://sitecore.vargroup.com/-/media/Project/Var-Group-Tenant/Var-Group-Corporate-Website/VDA/VDA_AWARDS_16_9/Sfondo_BKG_VDA_ARTISTI.png?h=1082&iar=0&w=1920&hash=4F583EDB994BF573DB958024AEB73ACE)