Cross-Border Digital Collaboration – International Connections at CODE

CODE Center of Digital Experiences opened in March 2025 as part of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture program, and from the very beginning, it set itself the goal to become not only an experience center but also an active participant in the international circulation of digital culture for the city of Veszprém. 

CODE is a new type of cultural institution where the convergence of art, science, and technology is conveyed in an experiential, interactive form. Immersive spaces create new opportunities for the public to be not merely observers but active participants in the cultural experience, while digital technology also offers new points of connection to traditional cultural content. 

— adds Alíz Markovits, CEO of Veszprém-Balaton 2023 Jsc. 

The long-term goal is to create a community and workshop where digital culture can continuously evolve, and which, starting from Veszprém, also provides a platform for international collaboration. 

— says Adorján Tóth, CODE’s Chief Operating Officer.

In recent years, CODE has hosted numerous programs that have brought together international artists, cultural institutions, and professional communities. From Japan to Austria, Finland, and France, and all the way to the global digital art scene, numerous inspiring encounters have shaped the professional philosophy of the Experience Center, and we have now compiled a list of its most important milestones. 

The international networking that later became an important part of the institution’s professional operations began in the months leading up to CODE’s opening. In December 2024, Hideaki Ogawa, Managing and Artistic Director of Ars Electronica Linz, and Yuma Yanagisawa, a Japanese digital artist based in Berlin, came to Veszprém. Yanagisawa also created Fluid Dynamics, the digital installation on display in the CODE café.

The program, titled Japanese Horizon, featured a variety of workshops, presentations, and strategic discussions. Participants explored the possibilities of digital art, immersive technologies, and content development, while also brainstorming CODE’s long-term professional direction. 

The meeting was an important step in building relationships with Japanese artists and professionals, and it also reinforced our conviction that CODE has a place in the international dialogue on digital art.

The relationship between Ars Electronica and CODE is significant in several respects: the Linz-based institution’s decades of experience serves as an important source of inspiration for those working at the intersection of art, science, and technology.  

In an interview with Michael Mondria, director of Ars Electronica Solutions, we previously discussed, among other things, how digital technology can transform education and cultural consumption, and what truly makes an immersive space interactive. 

The Deep Space content available at the CODE Studio also came to Veszprém as a result of a collaboration with the Ars Electronica Center. This collaboration is a good example of how an international professional partnership can translate into concrete content and new experiences. 

In December 2025, CODE was one of the stops on the NUMIX LAB international professional program series. Launched in Canada, the initiative connects European and North American digital creators, cultural institutions, and professionals. 

Nearly 150 guests attended the event in Veszprém, where they had the opportunity to explore CODE’s spaces, its permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as the immersive productions BABEL and Csontváry—In the Language of Photons. The professional program featured presentations by the University of Pannonia, Derengő Animation Studio, Andrea Sztojánovits, and Glowing Bulbs— Tamás Zádor — also presented the results of their collaboration with CODE. 

NUMIX LAB is particularly important to CODE because it has proven that: a meeting place relevant to the international digital and immersive scene can also be established in Veszprém. And building connections doesn’t end with a single event; it lays the foundation for long-term and can also serve as the foundation for new professional collaborations. 

CODE’s international connections extend beyond the arts. In April 2026, the CODE CREATOR Digital Makerspace, often referred to as CODE’s “little sister,” co-organized the Veszprém regional round of the World Robot Olympiad with Edutus University, the Hungarian organizer of the WRO. CODE also provided the venue for the event.

WRO is an international robotics competition series that gives young people the opportunity to design, build, and program robots. What made the Veszprém round special was that the theme for the 2026 season was “Robots Meet Culture”— —so technology and cultural thought once again came together at CODE. 

Thirty-five teams participated in the event, coming from 13 towns and cities across Hungary. The growing interest clearly demonstrates that CODE is not only a digital experience but also as a venue for the transfer of technological and creative knowledge. 

For CODE, an international presence is more than just a goal in itself. We seek inspiration, knowledge, and new opportunities, while also showcasing Veszprém’s unique values and creative communities to the world. 

We believe that digital culture transcends borders. We will continue working to strengthen the presence of CODE, as well as Veszprém and the Bakony-Balaton region, on the international map of digital culture.