Art and Technology

Art and technology have always had an unusual relationship of interdependence in which they have evolved through mutual influence, to the point where technology has taken control of our lives and every experience we have is somehow connected to its progress.

Technology has become a key medium of expression for an entire generation of new artists, just as painting or photography is preferred by others. It is the engine of change and the driving force behind the art world that has managed to integrate new media, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence into creations that are often called “immersive experiences”.

At the same time, technology has produced the most common means of communication through which art is consumed by the public. The Internet has been the starting point for the career of some of the most appreciated contemporary artists, especially the new Romanian wave artists included in this year’s Biennial. A good example is Traian Cherecheș, who creates multisensory installations under the influence of technological progress, reuses pieces of technology and introduces narrative structures and sounds inspired by video games.

Conversely, the smartphones we use every day are created by designers who draw on artistic principles. Most of the surrounding objects that are based on technology rely on the unique effect that art has on the human brain. More and more technological innovations are attributed to artistic creations. As artistic consumption increases and art becomes increasingly accessible, everything we see around us passes through the filter that our visual culture creates for us.

Without doubt, art and technology have changed our appearance and behaviour, individual and collective mentalities and language. They have created new aesthetics, a new kind of logic and even a new set of principles. And although the future seems captivating in terms of the artistic experiences we will undergo in the next few years or decades, sometimes the relationship between them can be toxic and full of contradictions or transcends the limits of humanity and humanism. Consequently, we are left with questions about how we perceive technology-driven art, what percentage is creativity and what science and where art begins in relation to technology.