Flashback to SXSW London 2026

This month, CIIIC travelled to the UK for SXSW London 2026. We brought together creators, researchers, policymakers, funders and industry leaders to discuss a central question: what does the immersive sector need to realise its full potential? In this article, we share the aftermovie and Roundtable Digest, with the most important insights from the roundtable discussions.

About the program

The day combined curated roundtable sessions, the premiere of Mequation (an immersive art installation by Woven and Leiden University), and an impact-focused panel titled “Beyond Profit: Creating Impact Through Immersive Experiences.” More on the program can be found here.

Watch the aftermovie

Watch the CIIIC aftermovie from SXSW London 2026.

Roundtable Digest — Key insights

Get the most important insights from the roundtable sessions. Across three roundtables, conversations ranged from sustainable business models and societal impact to agency and control. 

• Roundtable 1 - Creating Value in IX
  On impact-driven initiatives with sustainable business models
• Roundtable 2 - From Data to Societal Impact
  How can we work together to turn complex knowledge into meaningful public engagement through experiential storytelling?
• Roundtable 3 - Who's In Charge?
  On agency, ethics and control in immersive experiences

Open or download the document to start reading.

Mequation

We also premiered a new immersive art installion titled Mequation. 

Mequation shows you just how small the probability is that you exist. Artist Thijs Biersteker and astrophysicist Dr. Yamila Miguel have collaborated to create the world's first scientific equation that lives entirely, and only, within an art installation. This immersive work scans you, combining real-time data with the mequation equation to calculate the probability of your existence right now. The mechanical mirror takes you through the equation from the known universe now, to the life emerging on our planet this second, down to your unique biometrics. It collapses the improbability of your existence into a single number, a humble reminder that against all odds, you are here.

Mequation is presented by Woven Foundation and Leiden University, with support from CIIIC, SRON, the European Research Council (ERC), and NWO.

Keep the conversation going

We will keep the conversation going at different places such as MatchXR in Helsinki, UnitedXR in Brussels, IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam and many more. Want to stay in the loop? Join our (free) community platform!

Photos by Boaz Schram
Video by Niek Noordhoff