Creative Talks Karlskrona 2025 - amazing events of Citizen Dialogue are now behind us!

From 29 to 31 July 2025, Karlskrona became the arena for a unique meeting of art, technology, and social dialogue. The Creative Talks programme, organised as part of the Citizen Dialogue, brought together digital creators, scientists, representatives of cultural institutions, and residents, creating a platform for the exchange of experiences and the co-creation of new artistic narratives. The meetings took place during the Archipelago Festival (Skärgårdsfesten) in Karlskrona.

Grand opening

The events began at Galleri Chapman, where a welcome vernissage and the grand opening of the international exhibition The Arts Dot 2025 took place. The exhibition presented works by artists from Lithuania and Germany who, through painting, installations and various visual forms, reflected on the present day, inviting the audience to engage in dialogue and new interpretations of the reality that surrounds us. Participating artists: Andrius Lik, Kristin Damaschke, Neringa Stancelė, Nino Gvinepadze, Emilija Griciūtė, Tomas Danilevicius. 

The artworks showcased at the vernissage could also be experienced during the conference, allowing participants to return to them in a broader context of discussions on art, technology, and society.

City Art Walk

The second day began with the City Art Walk – a unique artistic journey through Karlskrona that invited participants to rediscover the city in a whole new way. Visitors explored Karlskrona, a UNESCO World Heritage site, from a fresh perspective – where history meets immersive digital art. This captivating experience revealed the city’s architecture and public spaces in a different light, as augmented reality technology intertwined with artistic creativity.

Created as part of the TAB project, the AR installations offered a distinctive fusion of storytelling, art, and technology. The audience had the chance to discover:

• Lena Trapp’s work at the Stumholmen Lighthouse,
• Love Antell’s installation in the tunnel on Trossö,
• Kris Pilcher’s project on Stakholmen.

  

The walk demonstrated how the city itself can come alive before the eyes of its visitors, with digital art becoming a bridge between cultural heritage and contemporary expression.

The next part of the event took place at Blue Port Studios. Kevin Sanikadze and Marie Björck officially opened the Citizen Dialogue initiative conference in Karlskrona. We were joined by around 70 guests from 10 different countries, and the event was also open to the public. Several hundred residents of Blekinge visited Blekinge during the week to take part in panel discussions and learn about the digital, analogue, and mixed media art presented in the hall.

During the first day of the meetings, topics such as the virtual production studio and the role of citizen dialogue in engaging artists were discussed. Tobias Larsson shared the story behind the Virtual Production Studio—its funding, current capabilities, and future plans.

A panel on Citizen Dialogue, led by Yvonne Walther, Giovanni Franchina, and Monika Klein, explored how artists in Karlskrona and Szczecin are engaging communities through digital media.

Lana Leuchuk presented "What Colour is Blekinge?"—a visual project built from local residents' stories.

On the same day, the digital exhibition The Arts Dot Illuminated premiered, presenting eight digital artworks in a loop, and at the end of the day, participants gathered at the physical art exhibition.

Immersive technologies and the future of creativity

The last day began with reflections on the role of VR in art and meditation. After a brief introduction by Kevin Sanikidze, the audience was immersed in the world of digital art thanks to a presentation by Jeanette Ginslöv. The speaker demonstrated how immersive VR drawing and meditation can promote relaxation, develop creativity, and enhance the well-being of participants. Next, students and graduates of the Blekinge Institute of Technology presented projects combining AR, AI and immersive games.

The day also featured workshops, with Dr Monika Klein leading a session on business models for innovation centres, encouraging participants to reflect on sustainable strategies for future creative spaces.

The next presentations focused on talent development. Mark Bounds and Bo Nikolausson presented the activities of Talent Coach and plans to expand this initiative in the Blekinge region, emphasising the importance of supporting local creativity. 

The Lithuanian band The Roop took the stage with an energetic performance – a group beloved by audiences all across Europe. In recent years, we have had the opportunity to collaborate with Vaidotas Valiukevičius , the band’s lead singer, on various projects across several countries. Their latest album, Momentum, was recently released, with the opening track “Nasty” created with significant involvement from the TAB project. The song was recorded in Sweden during our Creative Sprint last year. We are proud that such outstanding works are born within the TAB project – where music, creativity, and innovation come together.

This was followed by a conversation between Talent Coach and musician Vaidotas Valiukevičius, which touched upon topics such as supporting artists in reaching the international stage. 

Monika Grinevičiūtė and Egidijus Gricius presented examples of Lithuanian VR projects – from the revitalisation of the Oginski family heritage, through the development of virtual production studios in Vilnius and Karlskrona. They also highlighted the innovative Creative Camps organised in the municipality of Rietavas.

The next part of the day focused on film, games and immersive technologies:

Georgios Dimitropoulos talked about the use of artificial intelligence, digital simulations and digital twins in feature films and documentaries.

Sebastian Barabanow presented current trends in the gaming industry and the impact of AI on the development of the entertainment industry. 

Yan Hu explained how immersive technologies are changing the face of education and healthcare.

We also saw an excellent presentation of the project ‘To Get Lost Willingly’
by Rafał Pietrowicz (Rufus) and René Holm, who showed how XR can be used to create new artistic experiences based on physical works.

The last part of the programme was devoted to the world of cinema and virtual production.

Jacqueline Gault, John Langridge and Anton Johansson presented the Ascension project, accompanied by a live demonstration of virtual production techniques.

Maxe Axelsson showed a four-minute film depicting the history of PAMA, from its founding in 1988 to today's technological innovations. The screening set the stage for a powerful discussion: companies cannot simply keep pace with technological change. To survive and thrive, they must understand it, apply it, and take an active role in shaping it.

Mattias Olsson and Anton Johansson shared behind-the-scenes insights into the work on the film Harvest, which is entering the preparation stage for filming planned for spring 2026.

Joakim Hansson and Andrea Nordwall discussed the role of collaboration between academia and the film industry in creating innovation.

On this day, viewers were able to watch the second screening of ‘The Arts Dot Illuminated’, eight digital works presented on a huge LED screen.

Thank you for three days filled with inspiration, knowledge, and creative energy!

We’ve just wrapped up an intense and rewarding journey where technology met art, and creativity sparked innovation.
A heartfelt thank you to all speakers, artists, partners, and participants for your contributions, dedication, and openness to collaboration. Thanks to you, Creative Talks became not just a space for discussion, but a platform for real action and meaningful inspiration.

A lasting impact!

This event proved that art and technology don’t just coexist—they empower each other.
The talks, showcases, and workshops delivered deep insights, bold ideas, and powerful stories. Creative Talks is more than a conference—it’s a creative movement that connects people, disciplines, and ideas across borders.

We’re proud that all of this could happen thanks to the TAB project, which provides the space for such unique and creative encounters. TAB is where art, technology, and business converge—enabling new models of collaboration, cultural exchange, and public engagement.

And finally, huge congratulations to the organizers for curating such a rich and engaging program. Your effort and vision made Creative Talks 2025 a truly memorable experience.

The events were organised by Blue Science Park in cooperation with the municipality of Karlskrona kommun, Hyper Island, The Arts Dot, Blekinge Institute of Technology and the digital art collective Bepart.

See you at the next edition and upcoming initiatives!

This event, as part of the T.A.B. project, received support from the Interreg South Baltic 2021–2027 program, fostering cross-sectoral development in the region.