MBZ TALK: Technology and Art: Between Optimism and Ludism

From Gutenberg's printing press to electronic instruments and digital computers, technological advancements have significantly influenced the history of art, oftentimes leading to the creation of new forms and expressions. In our day and age, the intersection of digital technologies and cultures has grown into a blooming field of research and performance, especially in experimental circles. This talk will focus on the ways in which fusions of art and technology have been manifested in contemporary practices. We will analyze these trends both through the phenomenology of multimedia, bleeding-edge instruments, DIY concepts, and machine learning and through reflections that make art into a mirror of technology. What are some techno-artistic forms that are prevalent today? Is there a dominant aesthetic that emerges from them? What expects us in the future, and where does Croatia's scene fit in the grand scheme of things? These are just some of the questions that we will try to untangle.