essay about technology based artworks promote history and culture

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“How Artists Can Bridge the Digital Divide and Reimagine Humanity”

By agnes chavez.

Photo courtesy of Agnes Chavez

A 10,000-square-foot inflatable  Space Cloud with a floor made of ten tons of white salt drifting like beach sand, illuminated with programmable LED lights, lands in a park in Taos—a small, rural, multicultural community in New Mexico. Inside, plankton as large as whales drift on the fabric surfaces of the dream-like cloud, while participants wearing virtual reality headsets paint in three-dimensional space.

The inflatable pavilion designed by Espacio La Nube transformed into a learning space for the integrated STEMarts youth program at the 2018 PASEO Festival. We welcomed 700 students from across Taos County, giving them the opportunity to look under the hood and hear from the artists how the magic is created through the merging of art, science, and technology. As one student participant put it, “Now I know what is possible!”

The STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) movement has been an important catalyst to develop digital literacy skills in education. To achieve an inclusive and equitable digital society, however, we must broaden the definition of STEAM even further to include the development of humanistic skills and sustainable “ futures thinking ” through community-engaged projects. This is especially critical in rural and underserved communities where we are facing a gender, race, and culture gap in the field of science and technology. These gaps in digital arts continue to be a challenge in curation.

The STEMarts Lab, founded in 2009, designs installations and artist-embedded curricula that focus on the intersection of the arts, humanities, and philosophy with science and technology. Through immersive and educational sci-art experiences, students work directly with artists whose work imagines what can be achieved with digital technologies. In contrast to an approach that assumes that any social problem has a technological solution, this collaboration empowers our youths and communities to understand the ethics behind new technologies and their impact on nature and humanity, while giving them the tools they need to creatively engage in and with society.

New media artists can play a pivotal role

New media artists have much to contribute to closing the “ digital divides .”  We live in a society that is fast-changing and increasingly reliant on digital technologies. To fully participate in this new society and reap its rewards, it is crucial to not only bridge the "first-level” digital divide of access to and affordability of information and communication technologies (ICT), but also to address the “second-level” digital divide, called the “production gap.” Filling this gap would give people around the world the necessary knowledge and skills to move collectively from being consumers of digital content to producers of it. Currently, the majority of user-generated content is created by a small group of elites. Therefore, it is critical to provide the diverse sectors of our communities with the skills to produce their own content.

But providing access alone—or even closing the production gap—will not help us solve our most complex problems. In order to be effective, as Jan A.G.M Van Dijk notes in The Digital Divide , “policies must simultaneously reduce existing social and digital inequalities.”

Bridging the multiple divides is an essential part of this process.  The United Nations’ Roadmap for Digital Cooperation outlines “key areas for action.” I focus on three of them below—digital capacity-building, digital public goods, and digital inclusion—and I show how collaborating with digital creatives through transdisciplinary educational initiatives can offer exciting new approaches and strategies to address these unique challenges.

The National Endowment for the Arts’ report, Tech as Art: Supporting Artists Who Use Technology as a Creative Medium , affirms that “Tech-centered artists are admirably poised to grapple with larger societal and sectoral challenges—whether engaging with audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic or responding to calls for greater equity and inclusion in the arts and technology. They can be invaluable partners for policy-makers, educators, and practitioners in arts and non-arts sectors alike."

• Digital capacity-building: Harnessing wonder

SPACE was the concept I explored for the 2018 PASEO Festival with curatorial advisors, Ariane Koek and Dr. Anita McKeown . The festival’s free youth program investigated inner and outer space, artistically, socially, and scientifically, and highlighted the role of art, science, and technology in contemplating our place in nature and re-imagining society. In YouthDay@Space Cloud , students from each of Taos County’s schools visited virtual reality stations by NoiseFold and Reilly Donovan where they experienced otherworldly landscapes, and a GPS interactive installation by Parker Jennings that transported them into outer space and back. Through Victoria Vesna ’s hacked gaming technology, they also learned of the destructive power of noise pollution on our oceans.

Through this artist-led experiential learning, students gain insight in the artists’ ways of knowing—sensory, embodied, visual, kinesthetic—which prioritize the creative and human connection to technology. Teachers visited the online STEMarts Curriculum Tool in advance to learn more about the artists so that they arrived ready to ask questions. Follow-up surveys showed that students found the experience positive and fun, and were curious to learn more about art, science, and digital technology. Years later, they still ask if “the bubble” is coming back.

The power of fun should not be underestimated. The Digital Divide affirms that fostering a positive attitude for using digital media is an important first step for closing the digital divide. Another strategy is making a long-term commitment to the community. Annual festivals create more impact than one-off events. Over six years of producing the PASEO Festival, we watched student, educator, and local government engagement grow. Community members stepped up to volunteer at the festival and learn from the artists. Teachers became proactive and asked for artists to come into their classroom to do hands-on workshops. Students continued to use the free digital tools.

One teacher was so excited by artists/activists Illuminator Collective ’s urban projection workshop that, a year later, she and her students created a protest to save the Arts Endowment in Taos Plaza. Students and teachers who have been participating since the first STEMarts programs at ISEA2012: Machine Wilderness , are now furthering their skills as content creators, teaching or mentoring others, pursuing new media arts fields, or simply walking away with a greater understanding of how they can become creative participants in this new digital society.

• Digital public goods: Creating shareable resources

New media artists are at the forefront of inventing and adapting what the UN roadmap calls “digital public goods”— such as open-source software or open data — to create new digital creation tools. Through the STEMarts youth programs built around artist installations, we are cultivating a new pool of creative thinkers who see the possibilities of these open tools and how to use them. These strategies help participants in underserved communities move from being passive consumers of technology to cultural producers, empowered with the technology to tell their own stories.

As an example, Space Messengers is an immersive and educational sci-art exhibition as part of an international youth exchange program in partnership with U.S. embassies. Students in participating countries use artist-created tools to contribute content for the exhibition that travels to festivals around the world. For this installation, artist and openFrameworks programmer Roy MacDonald wrote the code for the web-based Space Board platform and integrated the (x)trees algorithm. This allows students to co-write their science-informed messages and the audience to respond in real time with their own messages from their devices. Both students and the public experience the excitement of learning science and contributing content as part of a real or virtual reality environment. These open-source tools are available for artists to adapt on GitHub .

In another science collaboration, Taos students learn from artist Markus Dorninger how to use his free Tagtool app, which transforms an iPad into a live visual instrument to tell their stories. With this tool, anyone can connect their iPad to a projector and paint with light, create animated graffiti, or tell improvised stories in multiplayer sessions using their fingers or stylus, eliminating the need for computers and mapping software.

• Digital inclusion: The STEMarts Model

The STEMarts model (see below) builds youth programming around four pillars:

• 21st-century skills and technology
• Cutting-edge science knowledge
• Real-world application and collaboration
• New media arts and social practice

We explore how an understanding of art, science, and technology expands our understanding of ourselves and our relationship to nature and society. We do this by building partnerships and co-designing with universities, science institutions , community organizations, and all levels of government to integrate diverse perspectives and discover new approaches.  The curriculum, board, and advisors for these projects comprise an international and interdisciplinary team of artists, scientists, and cultural specialists that are actively contributing their knowledge—for example, CoDesRes and its STEAM place-based learning interventions and artist, Andrea Polli with STEAM NM. As another example, Dr. Greg Cajete , consultant and author of the book Native Science: Laws of Interdependence , is instrumental in the integration of traditional ecological knowledge. Deeply engaging diverse community members as collaborators in the creation of the workshop, installation, or festival is key to assuring that a wide range of people have equal access to the knowledge and skills, and a platform to share their stories.

Providing free online resources supports access for rural and underserved communities. The STEMarts Curriculum Tool is an online resource that provides teachers with no-cost content for building STEAM activities around the work of participating new media artists, while providing such artists with opportunities to share their work and knowledge with educators and the community. COVID-19 has been a catalyst to get schools and cultural institutions up to speed with internet and computer access, making these free artist-built resources a powerful way to address diversity in the second-level digital divide.

Why this matters now more than ever

We face unprecedented challenges, and if we are to create equitable responses, we must begin to develop numerous literacies. Students can develop understanding and empathy while exploring the applications of science and technology in our societies. They do not need to end up working in related fields to benefit from acquiring humanistic and scientific literacy—and ensuring that they do so will in turn benefit society and the world.

Creating an equitable and sustainable digital society is an essential process that calls for what the United Nations refers to as “digital cooperation”: an ecosystem approach of multistakeholder collaborations between private sector, public sector, academia, and civil society. The need to bring people together from diverse disciplines and cultural perspectives to create alternative futures is urgent.  In a world of complexity and constant change, no one approach is sufficient. Pioneering artists experimenting with technologies can play an important role fostering literacies and bridging social divides. By supporting these artists creating new digital tools and experiences, we allow our diverse communities to participate in reimagining our humanity.

Agnes Chavez is a new media artist , educator, and creative producer collaborating across disciplines to create data-visualized light and sound installations that seek balance between science and art, and nature and technology. Her most recent work, Fluidic Data , is a permanent installation which visualizes data from the Large Hadron Collider created in collaboration with scientists at the CERN Data Center in Geneva Switzerland. In 2009 she founded the STEMarts Lab , which designs immersive and educational sci-art experiences that empower youth and communities through art, science, and technology. She participated as an artist and as education director for the ISEA2012:Machine Wilderness symposium. In 2014, she co-founded The PASEO Festival and served as co-director/youth program director until 2018.  She created the SUBE , Language through Art, Music & Games curriculum for teaching language to children, which is in its 25th year. She is now developing an international youth exchange program called BioSTEAM International , partnering with U.S embassies to connect classrooms across borders to collaborate on sci-art installations that inspire scientific, artistic and humanistic literacy.

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How Has Technology Influenced the Creation of Art? Essay

Introduction, new features, transformation of the essence of creativity.

Many modern sociologists not only state the increasing role of culture as a driving force of social development but also note that social changes receive mainly from cultural motivation. Indeed, the reality surrounding a person has been filled with cultural content today. Art, dance, and music help to strengthen socio-cultural traditions on the path of joint historical transformations. The most important thing is to assess humanity’s capabilities, which determine society’s degree of development. In the modern conditions of the development and manifestation of the possibilities of humanity, new creative cultural products and directions appear, the boundaries between art and technology are erased, and they are connected. The influence of the latest technologies led to the fact that artists began to create their creations with the help of modern devices.

More and more masters are becoming adherents of new programs and computer technologies that do not stand still, constantly changing and improving. Anyone can act as the author of a certain masterpiece, having mastered only an application or a program. In the modern world, communication between the artist and the public has moved to a new level with the help of virtual technologies (Fiero 401). Through the Internet, artists can interact with the public and post their works; as a result, a new term was born – new media art or media art.

Technological innovations, under certain circumstances, turn into innovative art. This happens as a result of the complete fusion of the artist with the chosen path of creativity. However, do not forget that achievements and objects are only a tool in the hands of the master. The popularity of the works will depend only on the artists, their abilities, and their ambitions. Thus, the development of the technical capabilities of computers and the technological simplification of their use contributed to the evolution of the creative refraction of computer graphics in creating animated images (Fiero 410). Technology at the present stage allows artists to construct worlds and images not only aesthetically attractive and artistically rich but also vividly reflect what is hidden in the images of imagination.

From the point of view of the evolution of art in the XX-XXI centuries, the achievements of scientific and technological progress are the basis for the emergence of its new types (radio, television, cinema), the expansion and enrichment of means of expression (computer graphics, electronic musical instruments); the emergence of new styles (spatial music, electronic music). Under the influence of scientific and technological progress, the language of art in the context of culture has also changed (Fiero 410). The impact of technology has also introduced a new way and system of creative thinking into the language of art of the XX century. The artistic language of the work, for example, in music, began to be constructed and considered an acoustic phenomenon. In addition, the emergence and development of technology have led to the emergence of a new type of artist, whose primary material is the means of expression on digital media, a way to implement creative ideas.

At the turn of the XX-XXI century, the sphere of art and virtual space was extremely actualized. The achievements of computer technology have led to a remarkable phenomenon in the life of a modern person when events, communication, and creativity unfold within an unreal, virtual, but well-realized space. Consequently, there has been a relatively fundamental shift in understanding this phenomenon, and art has become massively accessible. This fact has both positive and negative sides. However, the essence remains the same, and many more self-expression opportunities open for artists. Art takes on new forms, reflecting the current social reality since technology is integral to life.

Fiero, Gloria. Landmarks in Humanities . 4th ed., McGraw Hill, 2016.

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The Intersection of Art and Technology: A Creative Evolution

In the ever-evolving landscape of creativity, the intersection of art and technology has emerged as a dynamic force, reshaping the way artists conceptualize, create, and engage with their work. In this blog post, we'll explore the symbiotic relationship between art and technology, delving into the transformative impact of digital tools, virtual realms, and innovative technologies on the artistic landscape.

Digital Canvas: Redefining Artistic Boundaries: The advent of digital tools has redefined the traditional canvas. Artists now wield digital brushes, manipulate layers, and experiment with textures in virtual spaces. The digital canvas provides a dynamic platform for exploration, offering unprecedented possibilities for artistic expression.

Immersive Experiences through Virtual Reality (VR): Virtual Reality (VR) technology has opened new frontiers for immersive artistic experiences. Artists can create virtual worlds, allowing audiences to step into their creations. VR transcends traditional boundaries, transforming art into an interactive and multisensory adventure.

Augmented Reality (AR) in Artistic Exploration: Augmented Reality (AR) seamlessly blends the virtual and physical worlds, providing artists with tools to overlay digital elements onto real-life environments. This technology enables interactive exhibitions, public art installations, and a fusion of the tangible and digital realms.

Generative Art and Algorithms: Algorithms and generative art have forged a symbiotic relationship, with artists using code to create dynamic and evolving artworks. The marriage of art and algorithms produces mesmerizing visuals, challenging notions of static creativity and inviting the element of unpredictability.

3D Printing: Sculpting in a New Dimension: 3D printing has revolutionized the world of sculpture. Artists can now bring their digital creations into the physical realm with precision and intricacy. This technology expands possibilities in form, structure, and materiality, pushing the boundaries of traditional sculptural practices.

Digital Collaboration and Global Connectivity: Technology facilitates global collaboration among artists. Digital platforms and collaborative tools connect creators across continents, fostering a rich exchange of ideas, styles, and cultural influences. The global connectivity afforded by technology creates a diverse and interconnected artistic community.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a Creative Partner: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a creative partner for artists. From generating music compositions to creating visual art, AI algorithms contribute novel perspectives and push the boundaries of what is conceivable in the realm of artistic creation.

Digital Storytelling and Multimedia Expression: Technology has transformed storytelling into a multimedia experience. Artists can combine visual elements, sound, and interactivity to craft immersive narratives. Digital storytelling transcends traditional mediums, inviting audiences to engage with narratives in dynamic and participatory ways.

Access to Learning Resources and Tutorials: Technology provides artists with unprecedented access to learning resources and tutorials. Online platforms offer instructional content, virtual workshops, and collaborative learning spaces, democratizing artistic education and fostering a culture of continuous skill development.

The Digital Gallery: Expanding Artistic Reach: Digital platforms serve as expansive galleries, allowing artists to showcase their work to global audiences. Social media, online exhibitions, and virtual galleries provide a space for artists to share their creations, receive feedback, and connect with art enthusiasts worldwide.

Conclusion: The intersection of art and technology represents a creative evolution that continues to shape the artistic landscape. From digital canvases to immersive experiences, the synergy between art and technology offers boundless opportunities for innovation and expression. As artists navigate this dynamic intersection, they become pioneers in a transformative journey where the fusion of creativity and technology opens doors to uncharted realms of artistic exploration.

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6 Artists Who Use Technology in Their Work

From robots to social media, explore art which uses machines

Installation view of Hyundai Commission: Anicka Yi at Tate Modern, October 2021. Photo by Will Burrard Lucas

Throughout history, art has both influenced and been influenced by technology. This relationship has led to many exciting artworks. Here we explore six artists who have used machines within their work ...

1. Anicka Yi, In Love With The World, 2021

Hyundai commission: anicka yi: in love with the world.

What would it feel like to share the world with machines that could live in the wild and evolve on their own?

Artist Anicka Yi is interested in the links between art and science. Her practice explores the merging of technology and biology, breaking down distinctions between plants, animals, micro-organisms and machines. Through her work, Yi challenges the idea that humans are distinct from other forms of life by blurring these divisions between technology and biology. The artist's studio collaborates with experts across many fields including philosophers, fabricators, engineers, microbiologists, and perfumers.

Yi’s installation In Love With The World populates the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern with floating machines which she calls aerobes. The shape of these uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) is based on ocean life forms and mushrooms. They do not require humans to pilot them. Instead they follow a unique flight path generated from a vast range of options in their software. The aerobes’ individual and group behaviours develop over time, influenced by the ecosystem, including the heat signatures of people nearby.

Combining forms of aquatic and terrestrial life, the aerobes signal new possibilities of hybrid machine species. They prompt us to think about embodied and biodiverse forms of artificial intelligence (AI), and new ways machines might inhabit the world.

Most AI functions like a mind without a body, but living organisms learn so much about the world through the senses. Knowledge emerging from being a body in the world, engaging with other creatures and environments, is called physical intelligence. What if AI could learn through the senses? Could machines develop their own experiences of the world? Could they become independent from humans? Could they exchange intelligence with plants, animals and micro-organisms? - Anicka Yi

2. Gustav Metzger, Liquid Crystal Environment, 1965

Gustav Metzger Liquid Crystal Environment (1965, remade 2005) Tate

© Gustav Metzger

In 1961 German artist Gustav Metzger became interested in the concept of auto-creative art which uses technology to construct processes of positive change and growth. We can see an example of this ‘auto creation’ in Liquid Crystal Environment. The work consists of heat-sensitive liquid crystals which are inserted into projectors, then heated and cooled to form crystal patterns of alternating colours. These are then projected onto screens around the exhibiting space, all under the control of a computer program. The psychedelic patterns projected create a total sensory environment, inviting us into a world where art and technology collide. In 1966, the artwork became the stage set for performances by Cream, The Move and The Who at the Roundhouse, London.

3. Nam June Paik, Bakelite Robot, 2002

Nam June Paik Bakelite Robot (2002) Tate

© Nam June Paik Estate

Often recognised as a founder of video art , Nam June Paik worked across video sculpture, television productions, robotic devices, performance and installation. In a pre-internet era, Paik embraced mass media and predicted that ‘technology would enable people to communicate immediately’ . Inspired by his visits to Tokyo, and often using rejected media artefacts within his work, Paik constructed Bakelite Robot from nine vintage Bakelite radios to form a miniature robot sculpture. Associated with access to information and entertainment, the radio has become a symbol of the twentieth-century modern home and technology featuring as part of everyday life. Where the radio dials would usually sit, Paik placed tiny television monitors displaying footage from science fiction films and recordings of vintage robot toys. Interested in the connection between technology and the human body, the work demonstrates Paik’s attempts to ‘humanise the technology and the electronic medium’.

4. 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering and Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.)

Technician Billy Klüver believed that specialists in art and technology should collaborate. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Klüver worked at Bell Laboratories, a research facility at the centre of the American telecommunications revolution and also had access to the avant-garde artistic circles of New York. He was able to bring these two worlds together and pave the way for a new digital age. In 1966, thirty engineers from Bell Laboratories and ten artists, including Robert Rauschenberg and Jean Tinguely , took part in the New York art project 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering . Led-by Klüver, this series of collaborations between artists and technicians resulted in many ground-breaking artworks, dances and pieces of theatre and music. The engineers involved used new technologies, such as wireless microphones and fiber optic cables, and the artists pushed their work in new directions, incorporating technological elements. 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering highlighted the artistic potential of electronics and is considered a turning point in media art. Following the event, Klüver founded Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) , an organisation which aimed to create further collaboration between artists and engineers. The group grew to have over 5000 members, including artists Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns , as well as choreographer Yvonne Rainer.

5. Angela Bulloch, West Ham - Sculpture for Football Songs, 1998

Angela Bulloch West Ham - Sculpture for Football Songs (1998) Tate

© Angela Bulloch

Recognised as one of the Young British Artists , Angela Bulloch works across multiple media such as sculpture, sound, video and installation. She uses electronic technologies to bring a ‘gadget quality’ to her work. Bulloch’s work often contains an interactive element which responds to, or is triggered by, the viewer. The use of digital technology within her art enables Bulloch to manipulate how the viewer interprets different types of information and their understanding of her work. The colours of the lights within West Ham – Sculpture for Football Songs reflect the colours of the West Ham football strip. The lights turn on and off depending on the presence of the viewer. If the microphone (positioned nearby) detects the sound of a viewer, the bulbs are illuminated for a shorter period of time. In this way Bulloch invites the viewer to be an active participant within her work. While technology is integral to her work, Bulloch argues that she is not interested in technology for its own sake, but rather the ways in which people ‘interface’ with it and ‘what psychological effect this has’.

6. Amalia Ulman, Excellences & Perfections (Instagram Update, 8th July 2014), (#itsjustdifferent), 2015

Amalia Ulman Excellences & Perfections (Instagram Update, 8th July 2014), (#itsjustdifferent) 2015 © Courtesy Arcadia Missa and The Artist​

Amalia Ulman works across mediums including painting, installation, video and graphic design. Her works explore issues of class, gender and sexuality, and often use social media apps and an iPhone to do so. In 2014 Ulman began her Excellences & Perfections project, a durational performance which was displayed on her personal Instagram account. Creating a fictitious character, whose story unfolded across the course of the four-month long performance, the artist fooled her followers into believing in her character and following her journey from ‘cute girl’ to ‘life goddess’. As she explains:

the idea was to bring fiction to a platform that has been designed for supposedly “authentic” behaviour, interactions and content’. The provocative work uses everyday technology to highlight the potentially manipulative nature of social media.

Hyundai Commission: Anicka Yi: In Love With the World is on at Tate Modern 12 October 2021 – 16 January 2022

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