DOK Exchange XR

DOK Exchange XR

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DOK Exchange XR is DOK Leipzig’s industry networking and inspiration programme on interactive and immersive storytelling with a focus on XR works and the sustainable development of the international community of XR creators, producers and distributors.
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About DOK Exchange 2026

How do we preserve a work that cannot be separated from the technology that makes it possible, when that technology itself may soon disappear? In 2026, DOK Exchange XR focuses on Living Archives and the challenge of preserving digital and immersive culture through technological change. As new devices emerge while others vanish from development roadmaps, platforms close and standards shift, we risk losing not only works, but also the creative knowledge the field has built. 

We explore archival methodologies for digital and immersive works, how existing 2D archives can enter spatial environments, and how new 3D and spatial archives are being developed and kept accessible for future use and creation. As spatial computing, sensing technologies and AI expand what can be captured and created, cloud infrastructures and data centres are also changing where cultural memory is stored, bringing new possibilities, dependencies and risks. 

The programme also explores shifting audience attitudes towards immersive technologies, including growing awareness of data privacy concerns, while looking ahead to new forms of storytelling emerging through XR, games, AI and spatial technologies.

DOK Exchange XR will take place on 29–30 October 2026, preceded by a special programme on 28 October 2026 – DOK Exchange XR Encounters with Kunstkraftwerk.

Schedule Overview

Wednesday

DOK Exchange XR Encounters with Kunstkraftwerk 

15:00–20:00, Kunstkraftwerk

By invitation only. 
Interested in joining? RSVP: exchange [at] dok-leipzig [dot] de (exchange[at]dok-leipzig[dot]de)

Thursday

Conference Day One

10:00–12:50 & 14:30–16:00, St. Trinitatis (Propsteikirche)

In a programme of key notes and panels, the Conference brings together creators, producers and experts who are actively shaping how XR is made.

 

Protoyping Zone

10:00–18:00, St. Trinitatis (Propsteikirche)

The Prototyping Zone enables the testing of XR projects before their finalisation and bridges creators with the XR community of experts, future audiences, and distributors.
 

Showcase

16:15–17:45, St. Trinitatis (Propsteikirche)

XR creators will present their projects selected for the Showcase to a professional audience and a panel of six experts.

Friday

Conference Day Two 

10:00–12:50, 14:30–18:00, St. Trinitatis (Propsteikirche)

In a programme of key notes and panels, the Conference brings together creators, producers and experts who are actively shaping how XR is made.
 

Protoyping Zone 

10:00–14:30, St. Trinitatis (Propsteikirche)

The Prototyping Zone enables the testing of XR projects before their finalisation and bridges creators with the XR community of experts, future audiences, and distributors.

What are the DOK Exchange XR programme parts about?

On a small stage, five people sit in a row, four of them looking at a woman speaking into a microphone
DOK Exchange XR Conference

The DOK Exchange XR Conference brings together creators, producers and experts who are actively shaping how XR is made, presented and developed today. Drawing on their practices, the 2026 programme explores how archives enter immersive storytelling in different forms – from working with existing collections to creating new spatial records – and how creators and institutions can respond to technological change. Alongside artistic perspectives, the conference offers practical knowledge on developing and producing work with archives, navigating the evolving XR industry, and building sustainable career paths.

The XR Conference Programme

https://www.dok-leipzig.de/en/dok-exchange-xr-conference
DOK Exchange XR Showcase

XR creators will present their projects selected for the showcase—resonating with themes like politics of memory, ethical design, and digital literacy—to a professional audience and a panel of six experts spanning research, funding, production, distribution, art, and technology. The format is a dynamic collective brainstorming session, inviting deep insight and the creativity of experts as they reflect on projects, exchange perspectives, and co-develop valuable solutions. Emphasizing openness, equality, and inclusivity, this approach supports the projects’ development and builds meaningful connections within the XR community.

The XR Showcase Programme

https://www.dok-leipzig.de/en/dok-exchange-xr-showcase
Verteilt in einem Raum schauen zwei Personen XR Filme durch VR-Brillen
DOK Exchange XR Prototyping Zone

The aim of the Prototyping Zone is to bridge creators with the XR community of experts, future audiences, and distributors. It enables the testing of interactive elements and narrative solutions, as well as onboarding and offboarding experiences in spatial conditions, refining XR projects before their finalisation. This process ultimately contributes to reducing production and distribution costs in later stages of development. The presentation of works during this phase offers a deeper understanding of user experience design, fostering productive discussions and gathering extensive feedback.

The XR Prototyping Zone

https://www.dok-leipzig.de/en/dok-exchange-xr-prototyping-zone
DOK Exchange Curator & Coordinator

Weronika Lewandowska

exchange [at] dok-leipzig [dot] de (exchange[at]dok-leipzig[dot]de)

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Archive

A female person with VR glasses is looking up.
Project Archive

Want to discover the projects that have been part of DOK Exchange XR in recent years from 2020?

Browse the Project Archive

/en/dok-industry-project-archive
A collage of the headshots of Weronika Lewandowska, Dana Melaver and Prodromos Tsiavos
Re-Listen to DOK Exchange XR 2025

In our 2025 XR Industry Podcast episode, we attempted to pinpoint the kind of map creators and institutions need to navigate, select, and support meaningful XR experiences for the next generation. Host Weronika Lewandowska discussed with Prodromos Tsiavos and Dana Melaver what exists, what is missing, and how ethical design and curation can foster imagination, agency, and digital literacy.

Listen in now:

“Next Gen XR Rising”

 

Collage of episode 5's four speakers and moderators
Re-listen to DOK Exchange XR 2024

In this 2024 XR Industry Podcast episode you can find out how our ears perceive space can transform storytelling. Host Weronika Lewandowska and guest co-host Oliver Kadel investigate the transformative impact of spatial audio across various mediums together with experts Aili Niimura and Ana Monte.

Listen in now:

“Shaping the Soundscape”

Collage of two portrait photos: Weronika Lewandowska at the left, Mads Damsbo at the right
Re-Listen to DOK Exchange XR 2023

In this 2023 XR Industry Podcast episode, Weronika Lewandowska and Matt Dambso explore the essence of AI-human creative exchange and learn how we can go beyond the limits of our imagination with new generative tools. Mads Dambso is the producer and creative technologist behind the groundbreaking film “About a Hero” – the first feature-length movie co-developed with AI.

Listen in now: 

“Creativity Through the Lens of AI”

/en/creativity-through-lens-ai
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Co-Partner of DOK Exchange XR:

Programme Partners of DOK Exchange XR:

DOK Industry is realised with the support of Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union, the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM) and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media upon a Decision of the German Bundestag.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the MEDIA sub-programme of Creative Europe. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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