In the article, New Media Art was described as projects that utilize emerging media technologies, exploring their cultural, political, and aesthetic potentials. Most examples are interactive web pages. However, almost 15 years on, the definition of New Media has been partly reconstructed due to the rapid development of digital technology.
Firstly, the wide adoption of smartphones and mobile apps have significantly impacted how people engage with digital content. The rise of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok has also influenced the way artists create and share their work.
Secondly, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies has paved a new way for artistic exploration. Artists have been experimenting with generative algorithms and AI-driven creation.
Thirdly, advances in VR and AR have expanded the possibilities for immersive and interactive art experiences as well. Artists have been enabled to explore new artistic practices like 3D environments, and virtual reality installations.
In summary, the landscape of New Media Art has evolved in response to technological advancements. The themes, tools, and mediums employed by new media artists have largely shifted responding to the dynamic nature of our digital age.
My first chosen art work is “My Boyfriend Came Back from the War”.
“My Boyfriend Came Back from the War” is a unique online art project made by Olia Lialina in 1996. It is an interactive story on a webpage, telling a fragmented and non-linear narrative through text and images. As you click through the story, you uncover layers of it about a romantic relationship affected by war.
Olia Lialina is an artist from Russia, born in 1971. She’s known as a pioneer in exploring and creating new media art. Her work often explores the human experience in the digital age, using the internet as a medium for artistic expression.
“My Boyfriend Came Back from the War” is considered as a special experiment from the 1990s when artists started playing with the internet for art. I was fancinated by the way the story is told, not in a straight line but by clicking on hyperlinks, just like a puzzle. Lialina is recognized for her contributions to the early net art movement, where artists embraced the internet as a novel canvas for creative experimentation.
My second chosen art work is “Genetic response system 3.0”.
“Genetic Response System 3.0” is a thought-provoking net art project by Diane Ludin in 2000. It delves into the intersection of genetics and technology and investigates the evolving discourse surrounding the human genome project and biotechnology.
Diane Ludin is a poet, media artist, and product manager. She is known for her work at the intersection of art, technology, and cultural critique. She has exhibited her internet and media installation work throughout the US, Europe, and Australia.
In “Genetic Response System 3.0”, Ludin used a database to collect and reuse online materials, creating a unique visual style. Her way of mixing images and words challenges the complicated language around biotech. She did not treat media content as benign, nor did she treat audiences as passive. She’s committed to constitute a new meaning to human genome by representation. Just as Stuart Hall suggested: “Representation is not about whether media reflects or distorts reality, because this would imply that there’s only one true meaning rather there are many meanings.”