The influence of social media in art - DW (English) | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Art

The influence of social media in art – DW (English)

Published

 on


How is the internet changing art? What about social media? A museum in the eastern German city of Leipzig explores the issue in an exhibition with a title that refers to a typical Instagram phrase — “Link in Bio.”

Using social media has long become part of many artists’ everyday lives, says curator Anika Meier at the Leipzig Fine Arts Museum. Social media have actually been part of their working lives for quite some time now — as is proven by the approximately 50 video installations, sculptures, photographs and paintings by 35 predominantly young artists at the Leipzig exhibition “Link in Bio.” 

What distinguishes all these works is that the visual art is in a place where the audience already frequent: primarily on Instagram. Using the good old website seems to have become a thing of the past.

Is it necessary to print out digital art to show visitors what young, online-influenced artists are up to? “We didn’t do that,” says Meier, pointing out that this wouldn’t have been necessary because the works exhibited are as vivid as they are unusual.

The show kicks off with an internet-age exhibit that has already become obsolete by now: an original row of seats from a Berlin Internet café.

Oli Epp, Big Croc

The history of online art

Images flicker across a handful of screens, recalling the “speed shows” created by Aram Bartholl. The Berlin-based concept artist converted actual Internet cafés into galleries by using the computers for short-term exhibitions. Bartholl’s room installation reflects the history of net art, which existed even long before the internet became accessible to a mass audience.

The rise of social media, however, has dramatically boosted the number of viewers of digital art — not least thanks to the fact that nowadays everyone seems to own a smartphone with internet access.

Challenging the meaning behind symbols

The symbols of the internet age along with its modern consumer world counterparts provide a focus for Tom Galle’s work. The Belgian artist bent the blue Facebook “F” into a crowbar, and added finger holes to McDonald’s golden arches. Now the logo looks like brass knuckles.

Arvida Byström, Upskirt

Other artists examine the effects that the tendency that staging events in social media has on users. Andy Picci from Paris, for instance, placed his smartphone on a pedestal, and whoever approaches it gets to see the artist on the display, dressed in black in a white room.

“I wanted to put my digital self in its own cage on my smartphone,” Picci says.

He is one of a new generation of net artists embarking on a search for identity in the digital age. Some of them use augmented reality or artificial intelligence to test beauty ideals and challenge gender norms.

Andy Kassier, Just Swinging

Putting the ‘art’ in ‘artificial intelligence’

Thomas Webb is an artist who works with artificial intelligence to explore the boundaries of AI. He programmed computers to move smiley-faces with neutral expressions across a mirrored surface on the wall, and let them imitate viewers’ facial expressions. The result, Webb says, is not a reflection of the viewers’ emotions, but the superficial image created through AI – much like an emoji used in a message is not a reflection of the sender’s true feelings.

Not everything comes in a digital package at the Leipzig exhibition, however. Chris Drange from Hamburg took digital era motifs and approached them from a more visual arts-angle: he enlarged selfies from female members of the Kardashian clan, combined them with elements of classical painting, and had these images produced as oil paintings in China. Meanwhile Kristina Schuldt, a graduate of Neo Rauch’s Leipzig master class, alludes to the Old Masters in her works — except for the fact that they’re all holding smartphones in their hands.

The exhibition “Link in Bio” at the Museum of Fine Arts runs through March 15, 2020.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)



Source link

Continue Reading

Art

A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

Published

 on

 

LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.

More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.

The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.

They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.

“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”

It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.

Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”

Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.

“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Art

Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

 on

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.

Alleged Fraud Scheme

Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.

Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.

Massive Seizure of Artworks

In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.

Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.

Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed

In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.

Court Proceedings Ongoing

The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.

Impact on the Local Art Community

The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.

For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.

As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.

While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.

Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.

As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.

Continue Reading

Art

Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone – BBC.com

Published

 on


[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone  BBC.com



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version