Through the Looking Glass to a Post-pandemic World, With New Media Artists as Our Guide

Abstract

<p class="first" id="d1715518e63">This paper addresses the question: <i>In a post-pandemic world, what happens to culture: will our cultural institutions seize new opportunities for advancement or suffer decline? </i> New forms of digital aesthetics, which simulate works of art and cultural artefacts in their original settings, can now provide an immersive, interactive, computer-generated, experience of reality – an experience that not only matches people’s growing expectations but, also, keeps abreast of the way proactive art galleries and museums are seeking to engage with the public. Art and technology offer a way forward as long as both elements are woven seamlessly together. In tackling this task, we can anticipate that new media artists will act as our guide in leading the way through the Looking Glass from reality to virtuality – a feat of artistic creativity that will enable our cultural institutions to emerge from near catastrophe to face the rigours of a new age. The City of London provides a test case of post-pandemic planning with culture joining commerce in a spirit of partnership and sociability.