Founded in the Netherlands in 1990, ISEA International (formerly Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts) is an international nonprofit organization fostering interdisciplinary academic discourse and exchange among culturally diverse organizations and individuals working with art, science and technology.
(Source: www.isea-web.org)
The main activity of ISEA International is the annual International Symposium on Electronic Art. Selection of ISEA symposia is made by the ISEA International Foundation Board.
In an important move for ISEA, an agreement with University of Brighton to establish an ISEA Headquarters was signed in July 2009. ISEA HQ provides an administrative, academic and creative base for ISEA and develops a fruitful partnership with a leading research University. Sue Gollifer, Principal Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Architecture and Course Leader of the Digital Media Arts MA has been appointed as the inaugural ISEA Director at the University of Brighton.
History
The series of symposia known as the International Symposium on Electronic Art was initiated in 1988 in order to support the founding and maintenance of an international network of organizations and individuals active in the field of the electronic arts.
This network took the shape of an association, founded in 1990 in The Netherlands, called the Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts. The Board and membership of ISEA has always been international, bringing together individuals and organizations from around the world. From the founding of ISEA until 1996, the organization was based in the Netherlands. From 1996 to 2001, ISEA headquarters was based in Montréal, Canada. In 2009 a new Headquarters was established at the University of Brighton, United Kingdom. The Inter-Society existed for over 15 years as a membership organisation and in 2009 ISEA was changed from the association to a foundation in order to better serve its mission.
The organization is now managed by the ISEA International Foundation Board, whose main role is to oversee the organization of the symposia in each selected city. It assures the continuity of symposia identity and quality, and works closely with the Host Organization. The symposia have been held as both a biennial and annual event. In 1998, the symposium returned to the biennial format for ten years. It is now held annually.