LINZ.- More than 230,000 visitors, big demand for the facility as an event venue, rave revues for the food & beverage offerings, and two international architectural prizes-less that a year after its grand opening, the new AEC has already made a strongly positive impression.

More than 3,000 Entries to the 2009 Prix Ars Electronica
3,017 works from 68 countries were submitted for Prix Ars Electronica prize consideration in 2009. The very best were honored with six Golden Nicas statuettes, an award from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Media.Art.Research, a grant endowed by voestalpine and prize money totaling 122,500 Euros.

170,000 Visits to the 80+1 - Base Camp
Approximately 170,000 visits to the 80+1 Base Camp, a striking edifice designed for Linz’s Main Square by anytime Architects, are indicative of the tremendous reception the public accorded this project staged for Linz 2009 European Capital of Culture in cooperation with Ars Electronica and voestalpine. An 81-day (June 17-September 5) virtual ‘round-the-world excursion encompassing 18 interactive art projects, 36 project presentations by about 500 students at schools in Upper Austria and numerous cities worldwide, 40 expert round-tables, 80 ancillary events and a symposium about cloud intelligence attended by top international experts staged on the final day powerfully demonstrated how our world is becoming increasingly interconnected.

30th Anniversary Celebration and a Record-Setting Festival
With nearly 72,500 guests, this year’s Festival attracted the largest attendance in Ars Electronica’s 30-year history. The conference headliners included such A-list international stars as Friedrich Kittler, Derrick de Kerkhove, Hiroshi Ishii, Hiroshi Ishiguro and Isaac Mao.