As the Chinese art market booms, so is the new field of digital art. Some of the very best examples of this new genre will go on display in Shanghai from Saturday, writes Yao Minji.

Shanghai eArts Festival 2008 starts on Saturday. The main programs will finish on October 22 although some exhibitions run into November.

It is the second e-arts festival following the success of last year's event when more than 340,000 people attended.

The term "digital" generally makes people think of new, trendy, modern technology - the Internet and other high-tech stuff. But as the Chinese art market was booming in the past five years, the field of digital art has also developed rapidly.

It has become more common to see pieces of digital artworks in group exhibitions while many art festivals include digital sound performances or interactive video installations in the repertoire.

"Digital art" has become a trendy word although the definition is rather ambiguous. Some argue that any artwork conducted with the aid of modern technologies or digital equipment fits the category. Others consider the explanation too broad, blurring the boundaries of "digital art."

But both sides agree that digital art combines art and technology, both essential to the modern lifestyle. Moreover, many artists are fond of "digitalizing" traditional aesthetics or customs.

Hence, the theme of last year's festival was "The Wisdom of Crowds" during which artists from around the world displayed all kinds of traditional wisdom.

This year, the theme is "Urbanized Landscape," which examines the relationship between the traditionally significant "landscape" and the modern value of "city," echoing the theme of World Expo 2010 Shanghai - "Better City, Better Life."

"Landscape conjures up the human dimensions of a place," says curator Lisa Zhou, who hopes to answer questions such as "Can digital technologies help us to renew the urban landscape and our relationship to it?" and "What exactly is the relationship between a material landscape and a digital one?"

Following its theme, the festival has three main venues with relevant sub-themes: "Breath" in Huamu community in Pudong "Wave" in Wujiaochang area, Yangpu District and "Finalcut" in Xujiahui, Xuhui District.

All venues are busy communities with large daily crowds, which reinforce the organizers' aim to attract more general public.

Each venue includes a variety of programs including exhibitions, concerts, performances, outdoor interactive installations, forums, animation shows and public experimental projects.

The opening project of the festival - "Streaming Objects" new media art river event - will take place in Pudong at the riverside plaza.

Breaking the boundaries between visual installations, audio art and electro music, the project features 17 pieces by artists from China, Britain, Germany, France, Japan and the United States, among others.

Famous Japanese digital artist Akamatsu Masayuki has designed a 30-minute piece for the "Breath'' project called "Snowflakes." The performance invites trendy iPhone owners to participate in the performance with their iPhones. As part of the show, these iPhones will all glitter and make sounds through GPS and wireless technologies on cellphone.

German artist Ulf Langheinrich will bring the work "Drift," which aims to combine and transform abstract sound and light.

In his work, sound is not supplementary to images as in films or videos.

Instead, they are interrelated, interactive and transformable.