THE ART OF CRAFTING CODE – BY EVERYONE, FOR EVERYONE

Echtzeit – The Art of Crafting Code

Recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the demo scene is one of the world’s oldest digital art cultures. Rooted in this vibrant community, Echtzeit celebrates code as a living craft, where algorithms groove like well-oiled gears and demos echo the Swiss Castles Day’s theme of craftsmanship. From immersive soundscapes to hypnotic visual sequences, Echtzeit will present some of the most atmospheric demos this guild has to offer. A one‐of‐a‐kind experience of the art of crafting code. By everyone, for everyone.

Date: Sunday, October 5, 2025

Time: 17.30 – 19.00

Language:   –

Place: Castel Grande

Recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the demo scene ranks among the world’s oldest digital art cultures. Since its beginnings in the independent computer circles of the 1980s, this underground movement has nurtured a vibrant guild of programmers, sound designers, and visual artists who gleefully push technological boundaries through self-made audiovisual works known as demos.

On Swiss Castles Day, we tip our hard hats to centuries of stonemasons and carpenters, and cheekily trade hammer and chisel for keyboard and compiler (no risk of splinters!). Rooted in the bustling world of the demo scene, Echtzeit casts code as a living craft, where algorithms groove like well-oiled gears.

Realtime-rendered sequences play on the day’s theme of mastery and making, proving that you do not need a workbench to create real magic.

Between glitches, patterns, and pixelated poetics, Echtzeit will present some of the most atmospheric demos this dynamic guild has to offer. From immersive soundscapes to hypnotic visual sequences, this performance will showcase the broad range of creativity and technical virtuosity that define the demo scene. Join us for a one‐of‐a‐kind experience where bits and bytes are not just data, but the sawdust found in digital workshops!