10.2 Digital art and new media

Digital art and new media are revolutionizing the art world. They use tech as a crucial part of creation and presentation, blurring lines between artist, artwork, and audience. These forms allow for unprecedented interactivity and explore themes of technology, identity, and virtual worlds.

From CGI and interactive installations to VR and AI-generated art, digital and new media push boundaries. They challenge traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and aesthetics. This shift is disrupting art markets, forcing institutions to adapt, and expanding our understanding of what art can be.

Defining Digital Art and New Media

Digital Art Fundamentals

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• Digital art uses digital technologies as an essential part of the creative or presentation process
• Infinitely reproducible, easily manipulated, and distributed globally through digital networks
• Blurs boundaries between artist, artwork, and audience, allowing unprecedented interactivity and participation
• Incorporates elements of non-linearity, modularity, and variability, challenging traditional notions of narrative and artistic authorship
• Explores themes of technology, identity, surveillance, and the relationship between virtual and physical worlds
• Poses unique challenges for preservation and archiving due to ephemerality and obsolescence of digital technologies

New Media Art Characteristics

• Encompasses artworks created with new media technologies (digital art, computer graphics, computer animation, virtual art, Internet art, interactive art, video games, computer robotics, art as biotechnology)
• Often allows for interactive experiences and audience participation
• Frequently incorporates real-time data or user input to create dynamic, evolving artworks
• Challenges traditional art forms by integrating technology and digital processes
• Explores the intersection of art, science, and technology

Digital and New Media Art Examples

• Interactive web-based artworks (Net art)
• Algorithmic or generative art pieces
• Virtual reality installations
• Augmented reality experiences
• AI-generated artworks
• Glitch art and databending projects
• Bioart incorporating living organisms and biotechnology

Exploring Forms of Digital Art

Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI)

• Creates still or animated visual content using computer software
• Employed in film, television, and video game production
• Allows for creation of fantastical worlds and characters not possible with traditional methods
• Utilizes 3D modeling, texturing, and rendering techniques
• Examples include photorealistic visual effects in movies (Jurassic Park) and animated films (Toy Story)

Interactive Installations

• Art environments responding to viewer input or presence
• Utilizes sensors, cameras, or touch-sensitive surfaces to create immersive experiences
• Often combines physical and digital elements to create hybrid artworks
• Encourages active participation and exploration from viewers
• Examples include Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's "Pulse Room" and Camille Utterback's "Text Rain"

Virtual and Augmented Reality Art

• Virtual Reality (VR) immerses viewers in computer-generated 3D environments
• Uses head-mounted displays and motion tracking to create sense of presence within artwork
• Augmented Reality (AR) overlays digital content onto physical world
• Viewed through smartphone cameras or specialized AR glasses
• Blends virtual and real-world elements
• Examples include Laurie Anderson's "Chalkroom" (VR) and Nancy Baker Cahill's "Margin of Error" (AR)

Generative and AI Art

• Generative art utilizes algorithms, autonomous systems, or data inputs to create evolving compositions
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) art employs machine learning algorithms and neural networks
• Challenges notions of creativity and authorship
• Often produces unexpected or emergent results
• Examples include Refik Anadol's data-driven installations and Mario Klingemann's AI-generated portraits

Aesthetics of Digital Art and New Media

Visual Characteristics

• Distinctive aesthetic characterized by pixel-based imagery and glitch effects
• Integration of code as a visual element
• Explores aesthetics of data visualization, transforming abstract information into compelling experiences
• Challenges traditional notions of materiality and permanence
• Often incorporates elements of play and gamification
• Examples include Cory Arcangel's "Super Mario Clouds" and Casey Reas' generative artworks

Conceptual Approaches

• Explores concept of "remediation" representing older media forms within new digital contexts
• Creates complex layers of meaning and reference
• Challenges traditional notions of authorship and originality
• Investigates themes of digital culture, virtual identity, and technological impact on society
• Often critiques or subverts digital technologies and platforms
• Examples include Constant Dullaart's manipulated stock photos and Miao Ying's explorations of Chinese internet culture

Technological Aesthetics

• Utilizes malleability of digital media for rapid iteration and experimentation
• Creates works that evolve and adapt in real-time
• Incorporates algorithmic processes resulting in emergent behaviors and unexpected outcomes
• Explores aesthetics of user interfaces and digital interactions
• Often embraces glitches, errors, and technological imperfections as artistic elements
• Examples include Ryoji Ikeda's data-driven audiovisual installations and JODI's deconstructed web experiences

Implications of Digital Art on the Art World

Market Disruptions

• Challenges traditional notions of authenticity and originality
• Rise of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) creates new opportunities for monetization and authentication
• Disrupts established art market paradigms
• Global accessibility through online platforms democratizes art creation and distribution
• Bypasses traditional gatekeepers and expands art market
• Examples include Beeple's $69 million NFT sale and platforms like SuperRare for digital art trading

Institutional Adaptations

• Museums and galleries developing new curatorial strategies for exhibiting digital and new media artworks
• Creating new technological infrastructures for preservation and display
• Necessitates development of new critical frameworks and vocabulary for evaluation
• Poses challenges for long-term preservation and value retention of ephemeral artworks
• Leads to new forms of collaboration and co-creation, challenging notions of individual artistic authorship
• Examples include Rhizome's Net Art Anthology and the Whitney Museum's Artport initiative

Cultural Impact

• Expands definition and boundaries of what constitutes art
• Increases accessibility and engagement with art through digital platforms and interactive experiences
• Raises questions about the role of technology in artistic creation and appreciation
• Explores intersection of art, science, and technology, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations
• Challenges traditional art education models and skill sets required for artistic practice
• Examples include the emergence of new media art festivals (Ars Electronica) and specialized digital art institutions (ZKM Center for Art and Media)