EAST2046 announces London launch: a city-wide festival where technology, art and diasporic imagination meet (16–24 Aug 2025)
From 16–24 August 2025, London will become the canvas for a bold cultural experiment. EAST2046, a future-facing festival co-created with East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) communities, is set to activate the city through a decentralised network of installations, performances, workshops and public-space labs. But this is no ordinary arts festival—it’s a prototype for how culture might evolve in the age of Web4.
Rather than revolving around a single venue, EAST2046 unfolds across a constellation of creative nodes: clubs, parks, cinemas and everyday businesses reimagined as spaces for collective experimentation. The festival’s structure is “rhizomatic”—non-hierarchical, fluid and community-led. It’s a living interface where emerging technologies meet grassroots cultural production.
The main visual of EAST2046 is a satellite in space. “In my art work, the satellite is not just a technological symbol, but also a cultural metaphor: it creates an information network rather than a single centre”, commented Jiayi Lin (Leo), artist and also the 3D & visual content lead for the London-based social enterprise.
The programme opens on 16 August with a screening of Wong Kar-wai’s iconic sci-fi romance 2046, a nod to the festival’s speculative ethos. The film and production director Ke Li (Ricky) said, “the screening of the film is more than just echoing the name, but also imagining what happens when Eastern narratives meet future imaginaries.” “And as we move from Web3 to Web4, the narrative is ever changing”, adds Canbin Liu, artist, writer and also part of the media team of EAST2046. The following day, a launch event in Vauxhall brings together artists, technologists and thinkers from institutions such as the Alan Turing Institute, the V&A Museum and the British Museum. Throughout the week, EAST2046 offers workshops, dialogues and immersive experiences that invite audiences to shift from passive spectators to active collaborators.
“EAST2046 treats the city as an interface and a web,” says festival director Dr Lois Liao (Cantab). “By linking community spaces and emerging technologies, we’re prototyping cultural infrastructures where technology facilitates art, culture and community building. What we’re showing is how the future of culture and communities can be built as we move towards Web4.”
Panel discussion between Prof Cangbai Wang, Dr Alex Boyd and Dr Lois Liao on heritage, embodied knowledge and the future
Immersive work Psyche Wonderland by Psyche Studio
Festival programme: EAST2046 is a 9-day multi-nodal celebration
Artificial intelligence is a central theme—not merely as a tool, but as a medium for cultural expression. Tao Xie, artist and also part of the curation team for EAST2046, said that “the events for EAST2046 are like previews of Web4: the imagination of outer space, the intelligence of AI, and the energy of hybrid media.” On 22 August, EAST2046 hosts a full day of AI-focused workshops, including an AI filmmaking session and an agentic browser workshop. These are led by experts from Way to AGI, the world’s largest open, crowd-built AI knowledge base, and Fellou, the first agentic browser designed to empower users with autonomous web navigation. Zijia Feng (Jiayu), the curatorial producer of EAST2046, said that, “in the transition from Web3 to Web4, art is no longer spectacular, but also a participatory experience between humans and technology.” “We also want to explore the human condition and emotions within virtual space via AI, immersive technology and decentralised corporation”, added Xueyi Huang and Xuyi Yao (Selicia) from Psyche Studio, participating artist collective and part of the curation team of EAST2046.
Earlier this month, EAST2046 and Way to AGI launched a public campaign inviting single-shot AI-generated films. Over 200 submissions were received, and the best were curated into a short film by the Way to AGI team—an example of how decentralised creativity can flourish through open collaboration.
Voice of Crypto readers can access these workshops at a discounted rate using the code WCJSGM for 30% off. Tickets and details are available at https://lu.ma/9ksor8ik.
Jiayu Liu's work incorporates AI whilst rooted in Eastern philosophy and narrative
EAST2046 is partnering with Way to AGI and Fellou to run AI workshops for the general public - Voice of Crypto readers can register with a discount code
Beyond technology, EAST2046 is a space for cultural and disciplinary exchange. “I met so many people at the launch party who are interested in the intersection between arts and technology, and also between Asian and Western culture,” says Jonathan Zhu, one of the creative technologists involved in the festival. “I’ve been deeply moved by the atmosphere and community it’s created.”
The festival invites ESEA communities, creators working with Asian philosophies and anyone curious about cultural futures to participate in a week of shared making and learning. Expect immersive installations, movement-based practices, AI/VR experiments, tea and food salons, and conversation-led forums.
Wanrong Zhu's work incorporates metaverse and VR to reimagine Ancient Chinese heritage
Zilin Gong, the curator of EAST2046, said that “we see the first edition of EAST2046 as the étude for Web4”. “And it is an artistic preview of Web4”, added Di Jiang, the project manager for EAST2046. Looking ahead, EAST2046 plans to develop DAO-based infrastructure for cultural events alongside the AI, VR and XR elements that it is already presenting —reimagining how festivals, communities and events are built, funded and governed in a co-ownership future.
Part of the team that worked on the 17th August launch party
The night ended with DJ sets, nightclub Qigong and work from leading digital artists such as Wanshan Lin
For interviews, collaborations, images and accreditation, contact: contact@east2046.com To speak with Dr Lois Liao directly: linkedin.com/in/lois-liao
More information: east2046.com; Instagram: east2046_festival
Photo credit: Ke Li (Ricky), Xi Zao, Nancy Xiong, Johnny, Jiayi Lin (Leo)