Urban gallery : art of animation and large scale urban media environments

• Main Authors: Conradi, Ina, Chavez, Mark
• Other Authors: School of Art, Design and Media
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Visual arts and music::General; Experimental Animation; Public Art
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/151761
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The twenty-first century public art is continuing to connect with communities through immersive urban media art, performances and interventions. Specifically, media facades and urban screens employ cutting edge technologies that are merging various forms of media aesthetics: from digital painting, video and photography to interactive and artistic data visualization. Screens are not only used for advertisement but are rather becoming moderators for the arts and animation medium. The digital canvases could be seamlessly integrated into any interior, architectural and public space and could take any shape: flat or curved screen, soft and pliable OLED or 3D printed sculpture. The technology and shared open source design software tools are enabling the new media context, and increasing its field of various different aesthetic modes of creation within animation filed as well. What is the role of an artist in a media –saturated space? The main idea behind this project is to explore the challenges and ways of curating a series of permanent and temporary animated artworks created for a unique site-specific public art platform, the Media Art Nexus NTU Singapore. (Fig 1) Since 2016 artists have been invited to use their skills to activate this uniquely animated public space, by introducing experimental animation and art works that have an intrinsic appeal. The large-scale media wall is located in a busy passageway on the campus and has been displaying new media art works by the community successfully. What kind of experimental animation and curating can be done within this display? What are the challenges of curating and ways of disseminating animated art works of this kind? The paper would be introduction to issues of audiences and spectatorship, importance of showcasing animation in a new way and challenges when presenting works outside of the standard large venues, museum, festivals and cinemas for reaching wide audiences.