New technologies and their impact on creative practices have outpaced the adaptability of art institutions. The lack of adequate expertise, infrastructure and sufficient funding prevent new forms of artistic expression from gaining institutional recognition. It is at the core of these evolving dynamics where the AI21C Foundation operates.
The Foundation is working closely with its wider network to forge an independent group of patrons who will collectively champion the best of new media and digital art. Whether via a multi-year Fund or a Director's Circle, we aim to inform the collecting and exhibiting activities of renowned contemporary art museums worldwide. As the gap between contemporary culture, its cutting-edge creative practices and the establishment grows bigger, we look to act as a catalyst for change, bridging various worlds. To shape the future of the visual arts ecosystem, we recognise the importance of building a new theoretical framework alongside new forms of patronage and cross-sector collaboration.
Created in 2022, The Island commissions, finances, and offers digital artworks by established traditional artists. The Island actively seeks to bridge the gap between the art and tech communities, enabling interdisciplinary creative projects and exploring the evolution of funding and collecting practices within museums worldwide.
The Island is supporting the foundation’s ongoing research on the impact of new technologies on the arts ecosystem. These findings have fed into the Island’s first commission by Stefan Brüggemann, shown at OFFSCREEN, Paris in October 2023.
In the spirit of exploring new forms of collaboration and knowledge dissemination, the Island is supporting the foundation’s ongoing research on the impact of new technologies on the arts ecosystem which is presented in a series of short essays by Dr Paula Brailovsky.
The first essay "Apocalypse or Utopia? Calling for a New Avant-Garde in the Age of A.I." looks into the complex relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and society. As AI continues to advance, it is imperative for artists and intellectuals to form a new avant-garde movement that critically engages with AI's ethical, social, and cultural implications.
The second essay "From Object to Systems: Towards a New Systems-Based Understanding of New Media Art" describes a shift in the approach to new media art. The contemporary new media artworks often involve complex interplay between technology, networks, and audience participation, and should be analysed through a systems-based lens.
The third essay "Between Randomness and Control: The Aesthetics of Experimental Chance in Artistic Practice" dives into the fascinating intersection of randomness and control within artistic creation. Artists often embrace elements of chance and unpredictability in their work, seeking to strike a balance between relinquishing control and directing their creative process intentionally, and as a result, forging novel aesthetics.
