When media artist Jake Elwes exhibited his artwork at the end-of-year art school exhibition several years ago, he received mixed reviews. \u201cI just don\u2019t get it,\u201d said one critic. \u201cWhy are you doing this?\u201d, \u201cWhat are you trying to say?\u201d said others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Viewers watched a display of luminescent colours morphing into an infinite array of forms and shapes, created using an AI algorithm. It was something many had never seen before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet, despite this tentative feedback, Elwes knew this new artform was the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the loss of the physical art world over the course of the pandemic, professional artists were forced to find new ways to connect with home-bound audiences. Virtual gallery exhibitions and interactive art activities were accessible everywhere, providing free access to respected artworks across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, artists such as Jake Elwes, a London-based media creator, saw an opportunity to push the boundaries further and bring exciting modern art into people\u2019s homes. Using emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning tools, Elwes created his most recent work \u2018The Zizi Project\u2019 (2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project is an interactive drag cabaret that uses \u2018deepfake\u2019 technology. Audiences are given the opportunity to decide how drag queens perform and dance. For Elwes, this was not only an opportunity to break down fears about artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, but also to improve audience access to new art forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted to make something really fun, celebratory and playful, that can hopefully be a lot more accessible for a wider audience,\u201d said Elwes. \u201cThe art world\u2019s not particularly accessible and the AI world definitely isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gaming world has also been used to bridge the gap between the art world and audiences who may not normally visit traditional art spaces. To make up for their cancelled exhibition in April 2020, the Victoria and Albert Museum\u2019s collaboration with Nintendo\u2019s Animal Crossing saw the designs of William Morris become available to players, giving them the opportunity to decorate their virtual homes with his designs. The artist Simon Denny also used the popular game Minecraft to create an online version of his exhibition at the German art gallery Kunstammlung called \u2018Mine\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Increased digital access to art appears to be a success, as 2021 study by the Audience Agency found that 60% of respondents said that they were viewing more arts and culture content online (digitally) than before the pandemic. Going forwards, 40% said they would look to engage with arts and culture online and in-person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Elwes, these kinds of technologies are not only opening doors for audiences to experience art in different ways, but also providing new avenues for artists to explore and create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are more and more tools coming out now which are empowering artists and creatives to use these sorts of things without having a background in code, which is really exciting for me,\u201d Elwes said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For some UK artists however, digital platforms and technology were incorporated in their practices out of necessity and many of which were initially hesitant to do so. In response to the closures of galleries and art studios in March 2020, Digital Advisor and Producer Suzy Glass, developed the Digital Pivot Programme<\/em>, aiming to advise artists and organisations in the best ways to digitally produce and display their works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Digital Pivot Programme came specifically out of that moment of need,\u201d said Glass. \u201cWhere suddenly there were a huge number of artists and organisations that were confronted with this absurd operating environment, where they no longer could rely on their skillsets and the knowledge they had in order to connect with their audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/Zizi-_-Me-Zizi-_-Me-Poster-landscape-c_o-Artist-1-1024x576.jpg\")