Technology and Arts were seen on two different edges by most of the artists. Thankfully its the thing of the past. Both art and technology define and continue to reshape the world we live in. Re-imagining what we know as real or as a solid ground pushes our opinions and understandings of nature to the limits. And with new inventions and experiments, both the mind and the body, the language, and the world itself seems to be making room for a different sphere and fresh rules. Governed by the new aesthetics, the virtual, the scientific and the logic that is beyond belief, technology in art challenges our perceptions and that is what creativity and science are all about.
The change of artworks' nature along with the shift in the public interaction and the reshaping of the museums and exhibition spaces are making more room today than ever before for some of the most amazing examples of art and technology mix through digital art, kinetic pieces, and works that explore the internet and online existence.
The truth is that technology has been providing creatives with original ways of expression since its beginning. The major shifts, like the transition from the analogue to the digitally created expression, or to even go back further in time, the birth of Impressionism, the famous silkscreen prints of Andy Warhol, or the disturbing performance works by Stelarc would not be possible if technology and science, parallel to the creativities’ road, did not push for original production and new frontiers.
Along with the investigation of eye’s perception and the color theory, the birth of photography, and the moving pictures of Walt Disney, nothing else has helped to transform activities such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and music than the invention of the computer between 1936 and 1938. With it, a completely different understanding towards the creative production and relationship between art and technology was born.
Cultural and creative industries (CCIs) have always played an important driving role in the development of innovative processes that leverage human capital, vertical specialisations, and networks – often informal – that contribute to the creation of the 'soft economy'. The creative sectors are not only the generators of initiatives with a strong social impact but also create positive effects on the economy.
In fact, during the lockdown due to COVID-19, CCIs have exponentially increased the use of digital technology. On the one hand, the awareness of the importance of ICT, a channel on which to invest more resources, has increased; on the other hand, the technological gaps of cultural organisations that would need greater interaction with ICT professionals to develop integrated strategies and key competencies have become evident.
The crisis also brought to light the urgent need to further encourage cross-fertilisation between the cultural and creative sectors and traditional industries, such as health and education, to develop new and more sustainable business models, to increase the innovative offer and generate positive spillovers on the territory and the economy. With this in mind, we are building a series of tool to provide "Technology Meets the Arts' linking ARTS & ICT and activities that expunge the boundaries between the two sectors to stimulate creativity and innovation.