An exhibit at Northern Arizona University is displaying new forms of technologically advanced art.
Mind 2 Machine 2 Material: Digital Technology and Sculpture Today is the name of the digital exhibit, which the Arizona Daily Sun reports will take place from April 19 to June 10. This will be the first exhibit at the new Northern Arizona University Art Museum and the first to be dedicated to digital and 3D printing technology.
According to 3DPrint.com, David Van Ness, coordinator of New Media at NAU, believes this new technology is great for the future of the art industry.
Van Ness commented, “3D printing is more than just technology, it has more to do with not being bound by any particular practice or even traditional art methods. If you can imagine it, you can create it.”
The exhibit will also feature artistic themes of science, nature, and sustainability, including 3D printing demonstrations, videos of the artists at work, and gallery talks about each piece.
“Our exhibits enrich the historic and cultural awareness of our students in many disciplines,” said Dr. George Speer, director of the NAU Art Museum.
Technology is playing a major role in the art world now, with more than 71% of art collectors purchasing art via the Internet. This digital art genre is growing faster than ever.
Digital art implies images solely on a screen, but the Mind 2 Machine 2 Material exhibit is showing that digitally-created art can also be real and tangible.
This exhibit will surely be like no other. An event notice from NAU previews what visitors can expect to see: “Sculptures in the show range from small to large, light as thread to heavy as bronze, ghost-like human forms created from ‘glitched’ movements, dreamy colorful swirls, thick books with pages of face sculptures, antler-clad beings, curious creatures, and birds with wings that flap when you approach.”
An opening reception for the exhibit will take place on April 21.