Daily Art Knowledge | New Media Art

New Media Art is an art form that focuses on expressing the themes of artworks using modern technology, new media formats, and new ways of viewing. Depending on the medium used, New Media Art can be divided into various specific branches, including digital art, computer graphics art, computer animation art, virtual art, and net art, among others.

Each branch represents a way of expressing ideas, utilizing modern technology as a tool for New Media Art, just as traditional painters use brushes. Traditional art concepts typically categorize artworks into 2D (such as painting, photography, printing) and 3D (such as sculpture, installation), while New Media Art expands into the four-dimensional space, including time and the perception of the audience. Most New Media Art works cover multiple categories, presenting art forms with greater possibilities.

In the history of Western art development, scholars generally consider the beginning of New Media Art to be in the 1960s. This is due to changes in the pace of life, the development of industrial civilization, and innovations in consumption patterns. Artists began to use easily accessible non-traditional materials (such as painting materials) and combine them with electronic media or technology media to form an emerging trend. 

Now, let’s take a look at some famous works of New Media Art.

“Rain Room” – An interactive installation artwork created by Random International. This work simulates a rainy environment, but when viewers enter it, the rain does not fall on them, creating a fascinating experience of freely walking in the rain without getting wet.

“Virtual Depictions: San Francisco” – A virtual reality artwork created by Refik Anadol. This work projects the data and stories of San Francisco onto the exterior walls of buildings, presenting the city as an interactive virtual world through dynamic images.

“The Treachery of Sanctuary” – An interactive video installation artwork created by Chris Milk. In this installation, viewers can project their own images in front of it, which are then transformed into bird-like figures, allowing the audience to experience a fantastical sense of flying.

These works represent the diversity and innovation of New Media Art, based on technology and interactivity, providing unique opportunities for audiences to interact, participate, and experience the artworks. They not only demonstrate the application of technology in art but also provoke thoughts on human-technology interaction and social dynamics. Through frequent use of these new technologies in major art museums, pop-up stores, and brand offline interactive installations, artists have already proven that New Media Art is a future trend in emerging art.

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