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Ars Electronica: an amazing mix between Art andTechnology
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Dealing with the digital shift and the new changes that it brings to society, the
renowned Ars Electronica festival in Linz
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has been exploring the connections
between art, technology and society to reflect about the future, in the framework
of the digital revolution since 1979. Gathering artists, researchers and scientists
and providing space and structure for cross-sectorial experimentation and
innovation, Ars Electronica has gradually expanded along the years. It is currently
composed of 4 divisions: the festival, the Prix –awarded to the most creative and
innovative ideas that make use of digital media–, a museum, and a prototype media
art lab for trans-disciplinary work. Its 3D CAVE attracts numerous technology-
oriented artists, notably through its international programme of residence.
The collusion between local cultural tradition, new technology and emerging
forms of creative expression has benefited Linz’s cultural scene, to reach out to
more “traditional” forms of arts as shown by public investments in the Lentos
modern art gallery that host the Linz Neue Galerie’s collection of masterpieces
from the nineteenth century to the present or in the Centre for Contemporary
art that includes an experimental laboratory.Ars Electronica interacts with other
cultural institutions on the occasion of hugely popular events that have imprinted
the city such as the Linz Cloud Sound linking Ars Electronica and the classical
music Bruckner Festival.
In the digital economy the CCS in general still feature a poor understanding of
consumers’ demand, taking into account their fragmentation along “niches” and
languages.To engage with audiences, the arts need to tackle digital literacy, the new
learning patterns and the generation gap in relation to digital content consumption.
However engagement with audiences remains a challenge at large that needs to be
addressed by the CCS.
1.6 Engagement with audiences
The major issue is to trigger an increase in the public’s taste for visual arts
consumption. As an example, while audiences for the visual arts in the UK as a whole
are impressive
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, audiences for the contemporary visual arts are not as well
developed. Studies underline the low levels of expenditure on education and
audience development activities
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and a lack of dedicated marketing budgets (Royce
2011). Taking advantage of new technologies, media literacy initiatives or new
interactive online tools for example would have the potential to open up more local
as well as national or international works to the public.
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Ars Electronica’s work was presented during the CreArt meeting and workshop in Lecce in November
2014: “Artistic services for new times.The experience of Ars Electronica Futurelab” by Horst Hörtner,
Director of Ars Electronica Futurelab, a lecture presented by Holger Jagersberger, Coordinator of the
Atelierhaus Salzamt in Linz.
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Tate Modern is the most visited modern art museum in the world and 25% of the adult population in
Britain visit art galleries. (ACE 2006).
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One in three visual arts organisations has a dedicated educational post and total sector expenditure on
education in 2002/2003 was only 4%. (Royce 2011)
