The third edition of In the Ether, a complimentary festival, brings together international artists, researchers, and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin to explore how innovation can foster creativity and connection.
ArtScience Museum invites visitors to step into In the Ether – The Rise of Sanctuary Technologies, a landmark festival exploring how technology can be reimagined to support human flourishing and collective care. Presented from 3 October to 6 December 2026, the complimentary festival transforms interactive artworks, participatory installations, talks, workshops, and learning experiences that challenge visitors to rethink the role technology plays in shaping lives and communities.
As artificial intelligence and digital technologies become more embedded in how people communicate, find information and make decisions, In the Ether examines how technology might serve people more meaningfully. The festival explores the idea of “sanctuary technologies” – technologies, practices and experiments designed to expand individual agency, encourage responsible knowledge-sharing and strengthen collective wellbeing.
The third edition of In the Ether, ArtScience Museum’s flagship festival examining the relationship between science, technology and society, brings together an international network of artists, researchers, engineers and practitioners working at the forefront of technological innovation. Key contributors include non-profit organization Vensa and Etherum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, whose ideas around open-source and decentralized technologies form an important part of this year’s program.
“As technology becomes ever more embedded in our daily lives, it is increasingly important that we understand not only what these systems do, but how they shape the way we live, connect and make decisions. In the Ether creates space for curiosity, dialogue and critical reflection, inviting visitors to uncover human choices behind technological innovation and imagine futures where technology is designed with greater care, agency and collective wellbeing in mind,” said Angelita Two, Vice President of Attractions at Marina Bay Sands.
“We need a technological future that protects our dignity and agency – where we can meaningfully shape technology, not just consume it. Open infrastructure we can study and understand is the first step. Microchips shape almost all parts of modern life, yet few of us can design one or verify what is inside. Open silicon can change that. At In the Ether, visitors can explore how chips work, design their own, and take it home,” said Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Etherum.
Structured around three interconnected chapters – Imagine, Investigate and Experiment – the festival combines artistic inquiry, scientific research and hands-on exploration to reveal the choices, values and infrastructures that shape contemporary technologies.
The journey beings with Imagine, which explores the assumptions, values, and choices embedded within everyday technologies. Highlights include War Dance by Inhwa Yeom (South Korea), which uses AI-generated imagery and Korean mythology to examine bias and representation in artificial intelligence; Drone in Search for a Four-Lead Clover by Sputniko! (Japan), where image-recognition software transforms a childhood search for luck into an automated task; and Google Maps Hacks by Simon Wekcert (Germany), in which the artist placed 99 smartphones in a metal wagon and pulled them through the streets of Berlin. Visitors can also discover d/acc, an installation developed with Vensa that introduces a technological philosophy developed by Vitalik Buterin, exploring approaches to innovation that priorities openness, resilience and social benefit.
Investigate explores how technology influences societies, cultures, and everyday life. The chapter combines artistic practice, scientific research and speculative design projects that reveal the often unseen systems underpinning the digital world. Featured works include Anatomy of an AI System by Kate Crawford (Australia) and Vladan Joler (Serbia), an acclaimed visual investigation tracing the vast human, material and environmental infrastructure behind artificial intelligence, and Mimus by roboticist and artist Dr. Madeline Gannon (United States), an interactive robotic installation that explores the surprisingly emotional relationships people develop with machines. Meanwhile, The Solar Share by DISNOVATION.ORG (France) imagines an altenrnative economic model built around biological productivity using sunlight-grown spirulina as a speculative form of currency.
Singapore-based research is also featured prominently throughout the festival. Visitors can explore student projects that apply technology to real-world health and accessibility challenges, supported by the Singapore University of Technology and Design’s DIVE (Design-AI Innovation and Venture Exploration) platform.
The final chapter, Experiment, shines a spotlight on microchips. A key highlight is the Open Chip Lab by Vensa, where visitors can discover how chips are deigned, fabricated and studied beyond large industrial settings. Developed with contributors including Matthew Hartensveld (United States), Matt Venn (Spain) and Andrew D. Zonenberg (United States), the installation demystifies semiconductor technology through open-source chip design platforms, silicon wafers and microscopic explorations of everyday electronics.
At a time when digital technologies play an increasingly central role in everyday life, In the Ether offers a timely opportunity to explore the systems shaping our future. Bringing together art, research and experimentation, the festival invites audiences to imagine technology as something that can be shaped collectively and designed around human needs and values.
In the Ether – The Rise of Sanctuary Technologies runs from 3 October to 6 December 2026 at ArtScience Museum. Admission is free. For more information on the festival, please visit marinabaysands.com/museum/programmes/in-the-ehter.html.
