In today's culture, we are inspired or entertained digitally, we are all digitally connected and we narrate our life stories with digital images. So what is digital art? Connecting the dots, science and art have been blended to improve, stimulate or influence our lives for better and at times wickedly. Technology has phenomenally enabled artists to express their imagination with computers rendering ultimate realism to alluring fantasy!
LaTurbo Alvedon SITTIN’ UP IN MY ROOM
Yet, the anxiety of copyright and monetizing lingers in the digital sphere! Being fairly compensated for a work of art and the happy hunting ground for all and sundry are liberally ideal! Once again, technology is the positive force that reinforces this concept. The blockchain technology provides the artist a favourable platform to protect and be awarded deservedly not to mention conveniently and gives transparency to the opacity of the art world.
Whether the digital and the new media genres are in our computers or part of our living or working space, it is significantly expressive of our culture, social observations or just feel-good indulgence. At the same time, the fluid creativity that appears in digital work and new media from pointing out the inequalities, oppressions, fighting for justice, questioning mindless behaviours or beliefs to inspire and improve our ways of life can be viewed, shared and owned prolifically. Being able to own such artwork that moves you, the provenance is clear, and it might go up in value is appealing to many of us.!
Eva Papmargariti
What's more, blockchain technology addresses many critical questions for the artists and the whole art world! It transforms the way art is distributed and owned. It tackles the seriousness of censorship by decentralizing. It gives the sufficient power to the artist over the ownership or use of the artwork specially by institutions or groups of people whose ideas oppose the artist. Galleries & museums are our point of contact to the artist but what about the ones that are located in another continent or are not particularly household names? Blockchain technology means significant change in fairer distribution of wealth and having democratic choice in the matrix of our societies.
Few online art projects and sites applying blockchain technology:
Dadiani Fine Artis the first gallery in the UK to start accepting cryptocurrency for works of art. The currencies which we currently accept include bitcoin, ethereum, ethereum classic, litecoin, ripple, dash and NEM.
left gallery produces and sells downloadable objects.
Cointemporary an online platform for exhibiting and selling artwork.
Ikonotv.art offers a free art stream for internet and SmartTV users.
Featured image by: CARLA GANNIS work examines the narrativity of 21st century representational technologies and questions the hybrid nature of identity. (Transfer Gallery)