The Digital Civilizations Interviews

New interfaces to make art visible and accessible

Art is the place where the body and mind come together. And yet, despite its vibrancy, digital art is still a specialised and somewhat ghettoised domain, restricted to a small circle of specialised galleries and critics far from the world cultural institutions; the inadequacy of today’s interfaces is largely to blame. But even historical art suffers because of this inadequacy, which means that it cannot be accessed in a rewarding way via digital networks. One of the fields of application and validation of these new interfaces should take the form of a large international programme destined to make the world’s artistic and cultural practices visible and accessible.

Create an aetiology of digital side-effects

The digital is already having an effect on our bodies. We’ve heard of some pathological conditions, from sore backs and wrists to sight issues (which are closely linked to the nature of today’s interfaces) and addiction to video games. There are also others: the stress of multitasking, trauma caused by memory loss when a file or a drive crashes, our inability to erase data. If the body starts to be taken seriously by digital technology, then the illnesses associated with its use should be too.

Negotiate the technological invasion of the body

Digital technology’s move towards to body should be the subject of discussion, negotiation and regulation. The same technologies that could restore the use of our senses, control prostheses, and improve our relationship with other people and with our environment could also become technologies that control or manipulate in unprecedented efficient ways. It is vital that information about this kind of research is circulated freely and that its applications are immediately open to discussion.