How digital art affected exhibition spaces?

Abstract

Human beings need artworks interpreted with their own intellectual perspectives, to exist in the society, to continue its existence, to be able to adopt the culture of society. Thus, they can give meaning to what happens around, sustain their life with an aesthetic concern and develop them in physical, emotional, mental way. Artists should create the artwork, which has a great importance for individuals and society, by taking advantage of the erudition of culture and society. This is because artworks can only contact with viewers if they influence them by the idea they have and strengthen the demand of learning and understanding. As of the 20th Century, factors such as the acceleration of technological developments, the increased use of computer or the change of social structures because of the Internet, have led to this period to be named as 'technological age', 'digital age'. In accordance with these developments, 'the individual', whose perception has changed, would try to understand the products by the matter of facts that surround himself. For this reason, artists have to design and exhibit their artworks, which cannot maintain their own presence without visitors, in accordance with this era's vision. With digital art, defined as 'created with one or more digital processes or technologies' by The Digital Art Practices and Terminology Task Force,1 fundamental transformations have occurred on the art production methods. As a natural consequence of this, the spaces where artworks are exhibited become a part of art. Therefore, the choice of materials about spatial elements are important to get visitors from an inactive position to an active position, to guide their perception and to give them the artwork's message. With this chapter, it is intended to show how technology affects art, to question the impact of today's digital artworks on spaces and to examine the some examples of exhibition spaces. © Inter-Disciplinary Press 2016.