According to the reading, new media art is a type of art that uses emerging media technologies to investigate possibilities on the levels of culture, politics, and aesthetics. It was included in more general categories, such as Media Art and Art and Technology, which included techniques like Electronic art and Video art. The essay focused on how New Media artists used these tools for experimental or critical aims to turn them into art media.
Fast forward to 2023, New Media Art has undergone significant evolution. The spread of new digital platforms and technologies, such as social media, augmented reality, virtual reality, and AI-driven applications, is the most noticeable shift. These advancements have given artists greater creative freedom to create immersive and interactive works. Furthermore, the combination of blockchain technology and NFTs has opened up new possibilities for the production, marketing, and verification of digital art.
This evolution has also reshaped the dominant themes in New Media Art, with a heightened focus on issues such as data privacy, and the societal impact of technology. It has become clear that new media art is a powerful medium for bringing these subjects to light and encouraging critical conversation. At the same time, the domain has adjusted to the emergence of streaming services, podcasts, and the worldwide accessibility of digital information. In order to produce hybrid forms of art, artists now combine digital technologies with conventional artistic processes.
I have selected and discussed the works of two artists who are mentioned in the text below. The 2011 work “SCRAPYARD CHALLENGE” by Katherine Moriwacki is a prime example of the theme of audience interaction in new media art. In this program, volunteers are given a time constraint to construct robots out of recycled items, and then these homemade robots must compete in interactive tasks. In her work, multidisciplinary artist Moriwacki—who is skilled in both engineering and art—integrates technology, art, and education. By erasing traditional lines between artist and audience and encouraging active participation, “SCRAPYARD CHALLENGE” gives participants the freedom to mold their experiences according to their imagination and decisions. It represents the development of audience participation in New Media Art, where viewers are an essential part of the creative process.
On the other hand, “Alter Stats” by John F. Simon (1995–1998) demonstrates the conceptual quality of New Media Art prior to 2000. Simon is renowned for his innovative use of computer programming and algorithms to create art. “Alter Stats” visualizes web traffic data by translating online visitor hits into a three-dimensional graph. It anticipates the data-driven and conceptual direction that New Media Art would embrace in the 21st century. Drawing inspiration from the historical antecedents of Conceptual art, which prioritize ideas over tangible objects, Simon’s work exists as a conceptual construct, emphasizing the significance of the underlying concept rather than the visual representation. It aligns with New Media Art’s inclination to explore the conceptual possibilities of technology, data, and interactivity, foreseeing the growing role of data and digital information in contemporary art and culture, particularly in the context of big data and the digital age.