PIVOTAL: Digitalism
Filmmaker and ‘digitalist’ Rebekah Tolley-Georgiou is curating a cutting-edge digital art exhibition for British Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery. Here she explains to Alex Leith how advances in technology have given the art world its latest ‘ism’.
X New Worlds, Ripple, 2024, Digital and AI, 105 x 70 cm
How broad a field is 'digital art'?
Digital art is an incredibly broad and diverse field, encompassing various art forms created using digital technology, via computers, software and/or devices such as mobile phones. It includes, but is not limited to: digital painting and drawing, digital photography, digital sculpture, 3D modelling, installation, interactive art, video art, animation, generative and algorithmic art, net art and digital performance. The field continues to evolve apace as technology advances, providing new tools and endless possibilities for artistic expression.
Can you explain the title of the show, PIVOTAL: Digitalism? Is digitalism really a new ‘ism’?
We chose ‘Pivotal’ simply because so often during early discussions with my advisory team, we kept using the word! The origins of Digitalism can be found in the post-war, post-modern electronic revolution, globalisation of mass media and the birth of the internet, but 2024 truly has been a key year for digital art. Our artists – or digitalists – reflect a pivotal moment in the rapid expansion of digital technologies, which are having a profound effect on contemporary art and culture. And yes, we are really talking about a new ‘ism’. We take our inspiration from the fact that it’s 150 years since the first Impressionist show in Paris, widely regarded as the exhibition that launched the avant-garde. It’s also the 100th birthday of Surrealism this year, and both of those events hold resonance for PIVOTAL. Just as the Impressionists were shown alongside the official Salon of 1874, here we are showing alongside the very best of Modern British and Contemporary Art at British Art Fair. Surrealism and digital art both challenge traditional notions of reality and invite viewers to question their perceptions.
Jeremy Kidd, UTE MOUNTAIN LUNA STRIATE 1, 2023, Archival print, automative tape, plexiglass, aluminium, 40 “ x 28 “
How difficult is it to 'hang' such a show?
Where it differs from a traditional art show is technical install! We are incredibly lucky to be partnering with Creative Technology, who are normally to be found undertaking the technical delivery for the likes of the Olympics or Eurovision Song Contest. They have designed and will fit out our dedicated Immersive Space, within which visitors will experience a selection of artists’ moving image work shown across a 270-degree blended projection, in one of the two galleries that PIVOTAL will occupy. We are also delighted to be partnering with Muse Frame, who specialise in creating the most beautiful, high-end digital fine art frames, and we literally can’t wait to see our artists’ work displayed via these incredible screens. PIVOTAL is also supported by MEADOW, a new social platform that builds, publishes and distributes immersive digital content. MEADOW will be delivering the AR (Augmented Reality) component of our show, which we are calling the 5th Plinth (inspired of course by the 4th Plinth in Trafalgar Square!). Visitors will be able to view digital sculptures via their smartphones or tablets. Another great partnership we are excited to bring to PIVOTAL is with Sedition, a pioneering digital arts platform that shares our mission to broaden the audience for digital art, and as part of their partnership, Sedition will offer every visitor to the exhibition, a free artwork!
As a digital artist, do you find it hard to keep up with technology? And does work start to look 'old hat' very quickly?
As a curator and producer of digital art, I’m only too familiar with the challenges faced in keeping up with technology, which is constantly evolving, with new tools, software, and techniques emerging, on a regular basis. There is definitely a need for digital artists to stay informed about such developments and continuously update their skills to remain at the forefront of the things they love to do. But then what serious creative practice doesn’t require a person to keep learning? As an artist, kicking oneself out of one’s comfort zones is an absolute necessity! While it is true that certain aspects of digital art can date, I’m a believer in the core principles and artistic vision behind really good work remaining relevant. Nam June Paik’s experiments with a Sony Portapak video camera back in the 60s may be old hat in terms of the technology used to create what he did, but they are no less mesmerising.
Can you pick out a couple of the artists in the show, and why you chose their work?
Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm, "I see it, so you don't have to", 2023, Cotton and viscose wall hanging produced on Jacquard loom created with generative artificial intelligence technology (machine learning, diffusion)
Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm specialises in creating tech-art. She founded the art studio ARTificial Mind, and uses machine learning, blockchain, hacking and other cutting-edge technologies to create interactive artworks. A 2-Time Winner of The Lumen Prize (the biggest prize in art and technology), Winner of The British TECHNE Award, and Honorary Mention of the prestigious Prix Ars Electronica (as part of the Ars Electronica Festiva in Austria), Cecile is one of the most exciting digitalists working today. Originally trained in Fine Arts and Sculpture, Jeremy Kidd, the grandson of British 20th-century artistic greats Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth, has very successfully traversed the analogue/digital divide. Jeremy’s practice encompasses paintings, sculptures, installation art and photography. More recently he has turned his attention to working with AI and his own photography, which we are excited to be featuring at PIVOTAL. Jeremy’s participation in the show, also provides an important link, a metaphorical bridge if you like, from traditional arts, all the way through to Digitalism. We ultimately chose these artists – and in fact all of the artists featured in PIVOTAL – because their work exemplifies the innovation and creativity that digital art offers.
Is AI seen as more of a threat or more of an opportunity by digital artists?
During the course of developing PIVOTAL, I was talking all things AI with someone who has been involved with it since its inception, and he offered the following insight. ‘When it comes to AI and artists, ALL artists, both traditional and digital, this is how it will be. There will be those that wholly reject it, there will be the ones that disrupt it, and there will be the ones that run with it.’ I tend to agree.
Is digital art a good investment opportunity for collectors?
Digital art has really gained traction as an investment opportunity in recent years. As the field continues to grow and gain recognition, collectors are increasingly interested in acquiring digital artworks. If you’re an existing collector, or someone looking to dip their toe into digital art investment, there’s no better place to begin, or add to your collection, than at PIVOTAL: Digitalism at British Art Fair!