I've been to Assembly once, years ago. All those thousands of flickering screens in a dark arena is an impressive sight. At that time it was just a gathering of programmers who spent a few days and nights coding, only to break for coke, pizza and a few hours of sleep in a sleeping bag next to their computer. Assembly has been organized every year since 1992, so this is an event with a history already.

What they didn't have in the early days, however, was the strong element of digital art. Assembly now runs competitions for graphics, music, videos, demos, short films and any other form of computer generated art you can imagine. Best of these pieces are selected to the Helsinki Night of the Arts, held on August 21st. A multimedia show of Assembly's best is projected on the walls of Kiasma museum of contemporary art. If you happen to be in Helsinki that night, it's definitely worth a visit.

The demos can also been seen through Assembly TV.