Week Three Blogger : JackPedersen DESMA 9
A topic that seizes interest in the industrialization and art world is the idea of mechanical reproduction and how it may affect society. Walter Benjamin talked about this idea, where he claims that mass producing art from technological ideas like film's and photo's, it has changed our relationship with art. A movie that first comes to mind for me is "The Matrix" directed by The Wachowskis. It takes place in the future where the human society is stuck in a simulation that is created by robots. Their human bodies are being used as the main energy source. The film shows themes of mechanization, robotics, and the dynamic of machines and humans. "The Matrix" is able to create questions about the originality of our reality and how the role of technology can shape our society. The simulation in the film is created by a use of technology, so that leads to: can we ever really tell what is real and fake? Benjamin argues that the mechanical reproduction has started the "dissolution of aura" of art pieces. Saying, that the authenticity of art can be lost when it is going to reproduced on a mass scale. We become detached from the original piece and get focused on the reproduction. This can be seen in the movie because the simulation is so real, that the some characters can not decipher the two worlds. technologies like Arduino are able to strengthen the relationship between art and industrialization. This allows artists to robot sculptures and create interactive installations that may blur the boundaries. Society's response to this industrialization has been unique. Many may see this as a threat to art, but some see this as an opportunity to further express art and try new things.
Works Cited
Arduino, https://www.arduino.cc/.
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 2021.
Image 2: Francesco ChiaramonteFrancesco Chiaramonte is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert and Business & Management student with years of experience in the tech industry. Prior to starting this blog. “The Rise of Ai-Generated Art: What You Need to Know.” Francesco Chiaramonte, 3 Mar. 2023, https://fchiaramonte.com/artificial-intelligence-to-create-art/.
Image 3: Oberhaus, Daniel. “'The Matrix' Code Came from Sushi Recipes-but Which?” Wired, Conde Nast, 31 Mar. 2019, https://www.wired.com/story/the-matrix-code-sushi-recipe/.
Image 1: Roose, Kevin. “An A.i.-Generated Picture Won an Art Prize. Artists Aren't Happy.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Sept. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html.
Wachowski, et al. The Matrix.
Hi Jack - I am also a massive fan of the Matrix! This film did not come to the front of my mind when analyzing the relationship between art and technology, so thank you so much for thinking about this. I also agree with your point of view on how art being produced at a massive scale forces the pieces to lose their "aura". I believe the world of art needs to change to restore this lost attribute. There is something truly special about owning a one of a kind drawing - knowing that nobody else in the world has a copy. Interesting with NFTs how they provide a kind of solution to this issue, where they can not be copyrighted, yet also represent a great intersection of the arts and technology.
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