Since 2021, NUMIX Lab, an annual event organized jointly by Xn Québec and {DIGITAL CORRESPONDENCES], has aimed to bring together producers and venues for immersive works. It’s an original approach designed to encourage international collaboration, and its effects can be seen in the emergence of co-productions, the opening up of new distribution circuits and the portability of XR works. Presentation of the NUMIX Lab recipe and of the fifth edition organized from November 25 to 29 in Germany (Munich, Leipzig, Berlin), of which Unframed Collection is a partner.
In the beginning, the aim was to create a bridge between the French-speaking creative sectors in America, Europe and Africa. Then, on the strength of the first edition of 2021, when nearly a hundred professionals met during a delegation organized in Paris, the ambitions became greater. “Our aim now is to create a community at the crossroads of venues and producers between North America and Europe. Our ultimate aim is to connect the two continents by bringing together XR professionals from some twenty countries in the European Union and Canada,” says Antoine Roland, founder of the {CORRESPONDANCES DIGITALES] agency. In addition to Canada and France, these countries include Luxembourg (2022 edition), Belgium and the Netherlands (2023 edition), Germany (2024 edition), as well as territories in Eastern and Southern Europe, which will certainly host a future NUMIX Lab edition. A panel of countries with production capacities that are already mature or under development, which is also the richness of the community. In practical terms, what’s the point of bringing these professionals together?
Co-productions and new distribution channels
Jeanne Dompierre, General Manager of Xn Québec (the association of digital experience producers), provides the beginnings of an answer: “At the present time, structuring distribution networks and supporting the exploitation of immersive works are becoming priorities for our industry.” Indeed, despite the success of a number of immersive programs and formats, the distribution of XR experiences requires significant resources in the prospecting and deployment phase (following on from the success of Excurio, Moment Factory and The Infinite by Felix & Paul Studios in association with the PHI Centre, for example). This observation applies equally to Quebec and France, two territories with real production capacities. In addition to securing greater resources for the creation and production of works, this pooling of production resources opens up new distribution opportunities. “For example, an XR work created as part of an international co-production can more easily access new distribution channels. This is ultra-strategic, all the more so as it encourages short circuits in the countries of these producers,” analyzes Antoine Roland. A case in point is the installation work Eloge de l’air (created by Chevalvert), which has been shown in public spaces at the Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal, the Constellations festival in Metz and Plaisirs d’Hiver in Brussels, and whose members met at the first NUMIX Lab.
Developing the ability to port artwork
These relationships also give rise to unexpected distribution opportunities. A work conceived for one place (public spaces, museums, digital arts centers, third places…) can ultimately be adapted elsewhere. “We need to make the portability of digital experiences more fluid, for example by adapting VR works to large video formats capable of being projected onto buildings. This is the case of various VR works produced or distributed by French studios (Atlas V, Floreal, Diversion Cinema) which were adapted to create the immersive digital exhibition “Transformed” video-projected by Oasis Immersion in Montreal, shares Antoine Roland before continuing, in 4 years the XR market has gone from an exploratory model with small-scale businesses to profitable, more structured models. It’s a question of agility and alchemy.” This balance is all the more difficult to strike as XR professionals operate in a heterogeneous sector. “That’s exactly where we come in,” smiles Antoine Roland, ”For the next edition of NUMIX Lab, we’ll be bringing together over 200 professionals with a wide range of profiles: they work for events in public spaces, creative and cultural districts, territorial hubs, institutional venues (museums, theaters, concert halls…) as well as digital arts centers, immersive rooms or real estate developers who can host digital experiences. This year, for example, a real estate developer responsible for creating an immersive cultural venue in Bordeaux will be present.” With this in mind, Xn Québec and {CORRESPONDANCES DIGITALES] are not hesitating to draw on the local expertise of cultural industry hubs already present in the countries they visit. The aim? To source structures with inspiring practices or specific XR-related needs.
Discover new practices
Professionals attending the next NUMIX Lab (November 25-29) in Germany will be able to take advantage of the XR Hub Bavaria and XRBB networks. Highlights of the event have been designed to enable participants to discover the XR ecosystems of Munich, Leipzig and Berlin. Antoine Roland explains the program: “In addition to networking events and conferences, we are organizing visits to places with an innovative approach. For example, the University of lrz has developed an immersive room for training students, or the European Patent Office has a budget for integrating digital works into its collections, and another for conservation. The conservation of XR works is an important issue that fits in with the overall theme of NUMIX Lab 2024, namely sustainability. “Conference discussions will focus on how to create more resilient, less obsolete, more hybrid models. We’ll also be addressing the issue of societal and environmental impact,” adds Antoine Roland. Sustainability, in all its dimensions, with another element in the background: the sustainability of links between the Quebec and European ecosystems.
Unframed Collection is a NUMIX Lab partner and will be organizing VR test sessions in Munich and Berlin for participants.
To find out more about the program for the next NUMIX Lab: https: //numixlab.com/