Opinion

But is it art?

It has more colours than you can imagine. It moves, changes and interacts with you. It even speaks to you. It can change your mood and make startling statements about society. It should be art. But is it?

07 April 2003

Digital art, as part of the new media art movement, has been around since creative people got their hands on the first digital tools. New media art essentially involves being creative with any digital or electronic media. So, lighting and sound pulsing in an empty room could be regarded as a piece of art. As could a giant touch screen alive with images and sounds. Or a thought provoking mobile phone graphic or picture message, a really beautiful computer game or a moving image projected onto a wall.

Overseas, digital art has been growing steadily for around 25 years, with events such as the annual Ars Electronica festival in Austria showcasing the works of established digital art masters to hordes of appreciative art techies. It is still relatively unknown in South Africa, supported by a small but enthusiastic clique.

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