Media Art Research Articles

Nineteenth-Century Intersex Bodies and the ‘Appearance of a Double Sex’: Nadar’s Medical Anti-Illustration

Abstract This essay demonstrates that Nadar’s 1860 ‘Hermaphrodite’ series disappeared from the famed French photographer’s oeuvre because it does not function as a medical illustration. It explains the relative obscurity of the series and reveals often-overlooked biases and distortions in medical illustrations. By placing the photographs in the context of nineteenth-century European medical theories about the intersex body, and the successful illustrations, often wood engravings, that accompanied those theories in texts, it reveals that Nadar’s series contradicted rather than supported existing anatomical teachings in an artistic medium renowned for its fidelity to nature, thus posing a threat to medical authority. Whereas doctors asserted that the hermaphrodite was a biological myth, an aberration obscuring natural male or female bodies that could be easily identified by experts, Nadar’s photographs, backed by the medium’s inherent claim to indexical truth, showed the intersex body as naturally integrated and complete and thus doomed themselves to obscurity.

Integrating NFTs into Feminist Art Practices: Actualizing the Disruptive Potential of Decentralized Technology

The integration of NFT technology into the art market utilizes a two-pronged approach of decentralization and increased accessibility as an equalizing answer to rectify gender discrepancies in the contemporary art world. This is not the first time that technology as an art medium has been used as a feminist tool to disrupt the previously established status quo. Through the exploration of the 1990’s Cyberfeminist Net Art Movement, this article will discuss how female-identifying artists employ technological characteristics such as anonymity and online gender masquerading to answer the exclusionary issues affecting their art practices. Furthermore, it will examine how NFTs work to build upon the previously established revolutionary movement of the 1990s to evolve the contemporary art practices of feminist artists. Additionally, this article will address the impacts of this new digital landscape, where anonymity is preferred and algorithmic ordering is non-existent, as a more pragmatic way of creating, selling, and buying art. Finally, this article will examine how the integration of blockchain technology—entirely machine-operated and free from human manipulation—aims to eliminate the human biases of identifying factors such as gender that can be concealed or fabricated when operating in an online sphere.

Tendencje postmodernistyczne w ukraińskiej sztuce okresu transformacji i pierwszego dziesięciolecia niepodległości

The topic of the article is the presentation of artistic trends that appeared in Ukrainian art at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s and which are described as postmodern. These include: trans-avant-garde painting, performative art, media art, and conceptual art. All of them are an expression of the newly gained freedom, they choose the oppressive past as their main adversary, but they are also a form of reflection on new cultural and intellectual phenomena that appeared in Ukraine during this period (mass culture, “new spirituality”). The point of my article is not a detailed analysis of the works of individual artists, as I only indicate selected trends and directions.

Neophenomenological strategies in techno-images. Towards the post-metaphysical ontology

The article deals with the deconstruction of “metaphysics of presence”, based on the subject-object duality, in a postsecular/mystical approach. Post-metaphysical ontology, that is described here as negative ontology, needs a neophenomenological tool to be revealed. Characterized by a “wave” structure, beyond the “hard presence”, it can’t be defined as “being” or “non-being”. It is rather a kind of perpetual motion, determined by the trajectory of “photons of light”. This recognition seems to find an appropriate manifestation in a contemporary techno-culture. In the field of media technology (analog film or digital new media art), the negative ontology may be experienced by strategies of neophenomenology, in which “sus- pension” (epoché) gesture would concerns first the “ground” itself, then the aesthetics and narration, constituted by the cognitive/rational act of counsciousness. In other words, the visuality of the techno-image may be a tool of liberation of the perception from a cognitive/rational paradigm, which is closed to experience of what is the Other / the apophatic, wave Reality as it is. What should be underlined, in this proposal neophenomenology is not only the epistemology; the virtual image is directly related to negative ontology. An intuitive, mystical transformation of vision, proposed here, that denudes the discourse of representation, allows us to immerse into pure/“naked” Seeing and pure/“naked” Being. Exemplary materials to the outlined issues are films by Béla Tarr and video installations by Bill Viola.

The Etruscan Kiss and Embrace: A Mirror at the British Museum and a Lifetime in a Gesture

Abstract The British Museum currently houses an Etruscan mirror portraying a depiction of two women engaged in an embrace and sharing a kiss. Despite previous endeavors to elucidate the symbolic gesture, the profound implications behind the embrace remain shrouded in ambiguity. This article argues that the mirror, while adorned with a veneer of mythology, conceals a narrative that holds pivotal significance in a woman’s life, specifically, the moment of a bride bidding farewell to her mother. Under this interpretive framework, the gesture takes on the role of a salutation, a conjecture fortified by parallels drawn from analogous scenes in different artistic mediums.

Analysis of the Role of Teachers as Facilitators in Increasing Children's Creativity in Fine Arts Subjects at SDN 1 Senaru

This research aims to analyze the role of teachers as facilitators in increasing children's creativity in fine arts subjects. Creativity is an important aspect in children's development that can be developed through learning fine arts. This research was carried out at SDN 1 Senaru, Batuqok Hamlet, Senaru Village, Bayan District, North Lombok Regency. The object of the research is an analysis of the role of teachers as facilitators in increasing children's creativity in fine arts subjects in grade 5 elementary school. In this research, qualitative methods were used with a case study approach in several elementary schools. Data was collected through observation, interviews and documentation. The research results show that teachers who act as facilitators are able to create a learning environment that supports children's exploration and self-expression. Teachers give children the freedom to experiment with various art media and techniques, and encourage children to think critically and innovatively. In conclusion, the role of the teacher as a facilitator is very important in the fine arts learning process to develop children's creativity. Recommendations are provided for teacher training in implementing effective facilitation strategies.

TA: AI Art for Research & Unimaginable Futures – Part 1

In the first of this two-part interview, AI-artist TA talks to us about how he defines AI-art, and the potentials of this new, and controversial, artistic medium. TA shares his experience with readers from his initial reactions to the technology through to his embracing of the algorithms and resultant collaborations with academic researchers from various disciplines including Earth Sciences, Science Communication and Classical Studies. TA’s wealth of experience working with AI tools for creative expression leads him to reflect not just on how AI-artists and academics can work together, but also on the ways in which art and scientific knowledge can be co-constructed.

“Effing Awful!”: developing audio representation as a medium for conveying people’s experiences of flooded homes

PurposeDisaster research is often geared towards logocentrism and has relatively few outputs that explore alternative forms of representation, particularly those using an artistic medium. This paper explores how the creative use of audio representation can enhance understanding of flooding experiences, challenging the predominant text-based approach within qualitative study.Design/methodology/approachDuring a series of visits to people who had been flooded in 2019 in the UK, interviews and ambient sounds were recorded, analysed and then intertwined with musical elements composed by the lead author. The result is a phonographic representation of the synthesised data. The process explores a tripartite, creative, sonic approach that comingles thematic spoken excerpts with local sounds and musical compositions.FindingsThis article presents three sonic vignettes that illustrate the use of audio as a medium for academic research outputs. It contributes to the current consensus that the interpretation, representation and dissemination of research findings should be broadened beyond the dominance of the written word to align with the ethos of the Disaster Studies Manifesto.Research limitations/implicationsThe research contributes to disaster scholarship by developing a transdisciplinary approach to explore people’s experiences. By retaining the participants’ voices at its core, it makes use of in-depth, rich data to illustrate individuality, rather than aiming to generalise.Originality/valueVery little disaster research has focussed on pushing the boundaries of investigation by using the arts as a lens for both the researcher and their audience. Such work may connect with a wider range of people compared to a text-based “traditional” academic output. It can offer new opportunities for practical uses within Disaster Risk Reduction, for example as a communicative and educational tool.Contribution to impactThis paper contributes to understanding the impact of developing audio representation as a medium for conveying people’s experiences of flooded homes.

Screens as an archipelago: analysis of screen-based public art as expanded cinema in Chinese metropolises

ABSTRACT Drawing upon Édouard Glissant’s notion of the ‘archipel’ and Gene Youngblood’s concept of the ‘expanded cinema,’ this study examines recent examples of screen-based public art showcased in densely populated Chinese metropolises. Focusing on the artworks’ potential to reconfigure the spaces they inhabit and engage the spectators within the context of urban landscapes, screens in these artworks are portrayed as integral components of an archipelago, elucidating the mobility of cultural communication. We introduce a methodological framework, termed ‘World-Archipelago’ and ‘Archipelago-World.’ The former scenario involves artworks that remain central and interact with their surroundings as extensions, merging virtual experiences with reality, while the latter blurs the boundaries between the artwork and its context, harmonizing with local culture and seamlessly integrating into the urban fabric. Thus, this study posits that applying archipelagic thinking provides a substantial and analytical understanding of screens as an artistic medium within public art, involving a rhizomatic interplay that transcends the conventional centre–periphery paradigm and demands an exploration of the evolving relationships between screen-based public art and spatial critical awareness within metropolitan contexts.

Sound in sight: audio and sound-focused art exhibitions in New York between 1978 and 1984

ABSTRACT Throughout the 1970s, a drive towards the diversification of mediums available to artists led to artists working across numerous mediums not usually associated with visual art. While some came to work with sound as a central focus in their practice, most used sound as a medium to be employed in particular artworks for conceptual purposes. The paper is focused on five audio and sound exhibitions presented in New York City between 1978 and 1984. These large group exhibitions were held in alternative art spaces and not-for-profit art galleries and have received little critical attention beyond reviews published in local newspapers and art magazines. As such, these exhibitions have all but disappeared from the history of sound in art and from art history in general. I will argue that this cluster of group shows signal to an emergent practice that was moving past the post-medium condition and conceptual art towards the postmodernism of the 1980s. These exhibitions point to an understanding of sound as a medium of visual art that is at odds with contemporary scholarship in the sonic arts, which favours a music-based understanding of approaches to sound within the art gallery.

미디어아트 전시에 대한 이용자 경험에 대한 연구

This study was designed to determine how the general public understands and accepts media art, which has recently emerged. Accordingly, this study conducted a survey to determine the level of awareness of the general public regarding current media art. Although there are various technical methodologies for practically implementing media art, it was confirmed that only a small number of production methods are accepted by the general public. In addition, media art-related exhibitions to be promoted in Korea are likely to have many popular themes that can be viewed with companions such as family and acquaintances, and the government, companies, and local governments can attract large-scale response or interest in specific events. The possibility of it being implemented in a certain way is also high. In this process, it is also believed that there is a high possibility that directing techniques that are easy to implement in a large format will be selectively selected. In this situation, it is judged that policy supplementation is necessary to ensure continuous development and diversity in the media arts field.

공공미술로서 AI를 활용한 인터랙티브 미디어아트 제안

Media art attracts public attention for its newness and differentiation from existing art and media art converged with the latest technology, AI is being presented in public art. This paper proposes interactive media art using AI as public art. Powerful interactions that are more personalized, non-linear, and multidirectional should be delivered through AI. They need to make interactive media art more interesting for citizens to expect and participate in, and provide differentiated experiences through diverse communication and empathy with artworks. When establishing public art policies, a virtuous cycle structure that leads to public participation is proposed by preparing a strategy to promote the work to the public through sharing and co-creation of artworks on SNS. For citizen-centered public art, citizens' needs should be identified through AI data analysis and reflected in policies and creation. Interactive media art using AI as public art should promote citizen participation and communication and advance in the direction of developing a citizen-centered culture.

Determinants of Work Performance of Teachers in the Special Program in the Arts (SPA) in Region

This study examines the determinants of work performance among Special Program in the Arts (SPA) teachers in Region X, Philippines, specifically within the divisions of Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, and Cagayan de Oro. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-method approach, the research initially gathered and analyzed quantitative data from SPA specialists and coordinators across Northern Mindanao. Participants completed self-rating questionnaires assessing their work performance and the manifestation of relevant performance factors. Subsequently, qualitative data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions with selected SPA teachers and students, aimed at providing deeper insights and contextual understanding of the quantitative findings. The thematic analysis identified recurring themes and patterns, informing the study's conclusions. Results indicated that the work performance of SPA specialists was generally rated from 'moderate' to 'fair,' with Dance and Media Arts receiving the highest ratings, though still within the moderate range. Professional development emerged as the primary predictor of work performance across most specializations. The study underscores the necessity of targeted professional development programs and recommends enhancements in administrative support, resource allocation, and policy advocacy to improve SPA implementation. These findings have significant implications for educational policy and practice in arts education.

Didactic experiences in the public realm: AI, interactivity, and playfulness for empowering eco-change

ABSTRACT Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly adapts to diverse audience engagement modes in Digital Arts, either interactive or non-interactive forms. These engagements create potential alliances for intelligent eco-didactic environments in the public realm. Studies show that interactivity positively affects the learning experience; hence, the coalition between AI and Digital Art has the potential to result in enhanced eco-art experiences. This collaboration could augment the eco-message and lead to behavior shift. This paper explores the interactive engagement modes in different art mediums to identify their eco-didactic potential. The study adopts a mixed methods approach, engaging with causal-comparative qualitative content analysis research. We collected secondary data from various mediums to define the characteristics of the engagement modes in eco-art, digital art, and AI artworks. Finally, we interviewed mixed-media artists to explore the technologies used in these art mediums, the different engagement modes they adopt, and eco-didactic possibilities. As a result, we found that incorporating aspects such as interactivity, coherence, aesthetics, playfulness, and meaning, can increase the impact of eco-didactic experiences. In addition, AI creates new possibilities for these experiences with its popularity and features such as real-time data utilization, personalization, and generative reciprocal dialogues which facilitate the understanding of complex environmental issues.

Art design

Abstract : The rapid development of the times, various industries have undergone earth- shaking changes in the face of development trends. The education industry is also making progress in development. Art design and new media technology can be better presented to the public, and it is also convenient for designers. This paper investigates the local art design and art design education. The new media art design and the traditional art design are compared, and the advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and they should learn from each other and improve the disadvantages. Conducted an investigation and analysis on art and design education, and the analysis results showed the defects of today’s art and design education, and analyzed the methods of improving art and design education through the school’s investigation and applied it to art and design education.Artists and designers are very important for local art. This paper analyzes the genealogical relationship of art designers and the composition of local art designers, taking Yunnan as an example.

Brain activation in response to art-based tasks using diverse materials based on the Expressive Therapy Continuum (ETC)

This study investigated the relationship between art creation and brain function using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) via a portable NIRSIT device, focusing on the frontal lobe’s oxygen saturation changes during art activities. Authorized by the Institutional Review Board of Seoul Women’s University, the research involved 26 healthy participants aged 20 to 29, without prior mental, medical, or substance use issues. They engaged in four art tasks, separated by rest periods, to monitor pre- and post-task brain activity through fNIRS scans.The research unfolded in two phases: initially, it analyzed brain activity based on the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) framework, comparing different art mediums; next, it then examined differences between drawing on paper and on a digital tablet.Findings indicated unique activation patterns in various brain regions—including the Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (VLPFC), Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC), Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortexes (DLPFC), and the parietal cortex—highlighting a notable increase in the Left Frontopolar and Orbitofrontal Cortexes during paper drawing compared to tablet drawing. These results provide insights into how different art mediums influence neural activation, particularly showing enhanced activity in regions linked to empathy and feedback in paper-based tasks. It clearly suggests that different art materials significantly influence varying brain region activation, highlighting the importance of art medium and art-making in art therapy in enhancing cognitive and emotional functions.By examining changes in frontal lobe oxygen saturation via diverse art activities grounded in the ETC framework, this study contributes to understanding art therapy’s neurological impact on cognitive and emotional functions. It offers evidence-based guidance for art therapists on selecting materials that meet therapeutic objectives. The study’s limitations include a small sample size that may affect the generalizability of the findings and the exclusive use of NIRSIT focusing on the frontal cortex, potentially neglecting the involvement of other brain regions like the temporal and parietal cortexes in art activities. Future research should therefore consider expanding the sample size and employing comprehensive neuroimaging techniques.

Research on The Innovative Development of Digital Media Art in The Era of Artificial Intelligence

From desktop design to virtual imaging, digital media art has jumped beyond the "screen" and undergone tremendous changes in the past few decades. Its application fields have also shifted from the initial graphic design and film and television special effects to display design, military, geography and other fields. Digital media art brings novel audio-visual experiences and provides convenience in life. Human activities are closely connected with digital media. Digital media art relies on digital media technology to artistically display creativity, which has a profound impact and is crucial to the development and growth of cultural and creative industries. In order to explore the characteristics and future development of digital media art, this article uses interdisciplinary research methods, comparative research methods, literature research methods, etc. to understand the relationship between digital media technology and artificial intelligence, from the perspectives of technology, communication, and art Let’s observe the current performance of digital media art as it becomes more and more intelligent, find out the problems and solutions hidden under the wave of intelligence, and explore the innovative development strategies of digital media art.

A Collective Cycling Body Of Sound

Conny Zenk (Center Research Focus, PhD candidate PhD in Art), Bianca Ludewig (researcher and journalist) and Magdalena Scheicher (researcher) are interested in taking not only unusual paths but also using vehicles in different ways. In their contribution "A Collective Cycling Body Of Sound", they reflect on the bicycle as a medium for art and sound and present activist strategies of collective cycling to open up queer-feminist, solidarity-based perspectives on the city. In doing so, they explore the possibilities of public space as a sound space and discuss insights from Zenk’s activist practice. Inviting Ludewig and Scheicher for interviews, Zenk discusses bikefeminism and counterpublics, and approaches soundrides as a form of empowerment.

Analysis of visual communication elements in variable font design from the perspective of digital technology

With the maturity of digital technology, the effectiveness of information transmission has received extensive attention. Variable font design is regarded as an extension of graphic design in digital media art, and variable font design is studied from the perspective of information communication design. From the perspective of digital technology, based on the research theory of variable information communication design, combined with the specific methods of font design, the perception, cognitive methods, and aesthetic laws of aesthetic subject vision and psychology in the field of font variable design are discussed. Provide relevant theoretical support for information communication design activities with variable fonts. Based on artificial intelligence technology, a new interactive art expression method is proposed. By analyzing the main expression scenarios of interactive art, namely user information communication scenarios, interactive art push scenarios, interactive art promotion scenarios and personal service scenarios, it provides a scenario application basis for interactive expression, calculate the space complexity, space complexity and resource complexity, according to the complexity calculation results, carry out interaction design from three aspects of visual elements, multimedia elements, and human-computer interaction elements, integrate the topology structure after the interaction is realized, and in the network topology structure. The proposed model consists mainly of visual design, basic design elements, basic visual design, complete design and solution generation. It realizes the expression of interactive art of multimedia elements in display and control. The experimental results show that the interactive element extraction speed of the visual communication expression method based on artificial intelligence technology is increased by 30%, and the flexibility is stronger.

THE PIANO PHENOMENON IN KARMELLA TSEPKOLENKO’S CREATIVITY: FROM CONTENT TO RECORD

The study is focused on the main works of the piano creativity by Carmella Tsepkolenko. This concerns her Concerto-drama No. 1 and Concerto-drama No. 2 for piano and orchestra, which are seen as one megastructure that is open to further continuation. The compositional techniques used in them are described. It has been found that the presentation of musical material by means of modern notation gives the performer the opportunity to more clearly define his own attitude to the work and opens wide prospects for a unique interpretation. The role of the piano in Carmella Tsepkolenko's work is emphasized as a leading tool for searching for new means of self-expression and communication with the listener. It has been established that the rejection in avant-garde music of traditionally established principles of notation and changes in the organization of sound material, as well as its presentation on paper, took place under the influence of deep crisis phenomena of the 20th century and changes in society's consciousness. Emphasis is placed on the inevitability of establishing empathic connections between the author and the performer, taking into account the specifics of the presentation of the musical material. It was established that Carmella Tsepkolenko's individual compositional style is characterized by the use of not only traditional means of notation, but also the wide use of such types of modern compositional techniques as atonality, aleatorics, pointillism, sonoristics. The main feature of the composer's individual compositional style is characterized — the presence of obligatory scenario development of each work. The general orientation of Carmella Tsepkolenko's work towards theatricality in music of all genres is emphasized. It is proven that in order to create a convincing artistic image, the author sometimes turns to the artistic medium so-called Performance, which requires certain acting skills from the performer. The expediency of using a performing gesture as a special artistic tool that enhances the emotional impact on the listener is substantiated. Emphasis is placed on the need for performers to familiarize themselves with the basics of modern musical notation in educational institutions.