“Dimensions: A Journey Through the Evolution of Digital Art from 1859” at Pittlerwerke in Leipzig

“Dimensions” digital art from the pioneers to the most contemporary international avant-garde presented at Pittlerwerke, a spectacular industrial architecture in Leipzig.

We think that digital is a thing of just a few decades ago, but no, binary code, zeros and ones, the origin of digital, has centuries of history. That’s why “Dimensions, digital art since 1859” is a semi-amazing journey through the history of digital art since 1859, and yes, that’s the 19th century. Some 60 works of the best in international digital art arranged in 10,000 m², can be visited in the German city of Leipzig —not everything will be Berlin— until July 9.

Cover photo: Projet EVA, “The Object of the Internet”, 2017 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

Ivana Franke, “Center”, 2004. Courtesy LAUBA © Ivana Franke/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2023 Photo: Damir Žižić

This exhibition, called “Dimensions, digital art from 1859″, is a festival of forms, real and virtual spaces, pixels, beams of light and waves, sounds and technology. From the first computer-generated works of art to the most modern and sophisticated creations, this exhibition provides visual thrills and allows you to immerse yourself in the digital dimension.

Susanne Wagner, “The Sculptor (Tim)”, 2013 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

digitized society

Digitization is part of our day to day. Who does not have a smartphone in his hand most of the time. And since society and what happens on a day-to-day basis is a reflection of art, today artists from all over the world create new works and digital narratives. For this reason, “Dimensions, digital art since 1859” shows how art has been shaped by the dialogue between new technologies and artistic forms of expression since the middle of the 19th century. In addition, it takes as its starting point the discovery of the French photographer and sculptor François Willème in 1859, a precursor of 3D printing.

Dumb Type, “Memoradum or voyage”, 2014 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

Interrelation between art and technological advances

“Dimensions” defends that art and therefore creativity can be definitive to dominate the contemporary digital transformation. Understanding the social and natural, economic, political and cultural environment from a wide variety of perspectives is crucial. The ability to take multiple approaches allows one to understand the interdependencies between technology and society, such as the connection to the arts and the recognition of social diversity. As more opportunities are opened up through technology, the more crucial the human skills of creativity and contextual competence become.

Golnaz Behrouznia & Dominique Peysson, “Phylogenése Inverse”, 2022 (detail) © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

New technologies in “Dimensions, digital art since 1859”

From AI to blockchain, in “Dimensions” there is virtual reality, immersive physical environments —whether through 3D projections or direct stimulation of the viewer’s brain— and of course, new creations and NFTs are exhibited.

The exhibition is articulated in several chapters: media and video art, immersive art, robotic art, algorithmic-generative art (or what everyone knows with AI: Artificial Intelligence) and virtual reality/augmented reality. All of them intertwine past and present in a spectacular way.

Choe U-Ram, “Urbanus Female”, 2006 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

“Dimensions” in electronic art

The main motivation of this exhibition, they say, is not only to show the latest trends in electronic art, but also to look back at its roots and development. In fact, the word “electronics” has Greek roots (elektron: electricity) and means “related to electrons, a science that studies the storage and transmission of information through electric currents”. So electronic art would be the one that uses electronic and digital technology to create works of art.

In any case, in the exhibition there are sculptural installations that visually remind us of electrons and networks of molecules such as “Center” or “Entanglement is a Fragile State” both from Ivan Franko which are merely wire compositions and which we find as soon as we enter the gigantic hall.

Ivana Franke, “Entanglement is a Fragile State”, 2012-2023. Photo: Alexander Schippel © SKK

robotic art

With its 3D water matrix, Christian Partos and Shiro Takani they have created sculptures and aquatic animations in which the gravity of the water drops is slowed down, suspended or even reversed.

Shiro TAKATANI, STLL for the LD Water Matrix, 2014 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

Or also through a drop, this time of light, the “Source of light” of Joan Giner & Christophe Rault made visible through an architectural space because it lights up when that spark of light falls. The mobile and organic-mechanical light sculptures of Choe U-Ram show a fictional ecosystem populated by cybernetic life.

Choe U-Ram, “Jet Hiatus”, 2004 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

video art

Nor could the master hi-tech be missing Ryoji Ikeda that shows his wonderful “Data Verse 1” on a giant screen. Also digital video and computer graphics in the doku “Digital Alaya” of Lu Yang.

Lu Yang, “Doku – Digital Alaya”, 2022. Photo: María Muñoz

More cinematographic is the video work of Emmanuel Carlier who is present with his series “Temps Morts” from 1993 made up of 4 videos.

Emmanuel Carlier, “Kiss”, 1993. 50 synchronized cameras // 40 mixesndos © Emmanuel Carlier

Algorithmic-generative art

“We are here because of those that art not” de la británica Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley. “Tour Reservoir – mujeres del barrio de Coucriauville del Havre in France” by LFK’s of 2016.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, “We are here because of those that are not”, 2021 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

Augmented reality

One of the most effective jobs and for lovers of painting and detail is that of Sarah Kenderdine & Jeffrey Shaw. The 7×6 meter installation immerses you in the world of vegetation present in Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting, “The Virgin of the Rocks” through hyper augmented reality

Sarah Kenderdine & Jeffrey Shaw, “Leonardo Da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks AR (LdV.VotR.AR)”, 2019. Cortesía y © Sarah Kenderdine & Jeffrey Shaw

The exposition begins with the aforementioned Francois Willeme. Willéme in 1859 managed to capture motifs from all perspectives through the simultaneous use of 24 cameras. By superimposing these simultaneously obtained photographic images, his photo sculptures paved the way for today’s 3D scanning. Through a QR code, visitors receive Willème’s self-portrait in 3D and augmented reality that they can take home on their mobile phones.

François Willème, “Photography”, 1860-65 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

immersive installations

The installation of fog and strobe of Kurt Hentschlager it is an ambient soundscape created in a cubicle in which one enters and is at the expense of kaleidoscopic impressions through light stimuli. Other ways to participate in digital art are the two monumental and stereoscopic 3D immersive projections “Movement-L” and “Waveform-L” by Ulf Langheinrich, created ad hoc for the occasion. They visualize the tension between time, space, body and technology.

In this section there are also “In s.asmbli” by Ryoichi Kurokawa or “The Object of the internet” by the Canadian collective Project EVA.

Projet EVA, “The Object of the Internet”, 2017 (detalle) © SKK. Foto: Alexander Schippel

Ryoichi Kurokawa, “In s.assembly”, 2020. Photo: Maria Munoz

Historical but closer is the South Korean Nan June Paikwho could not be missing from the show and who is present with his “Sound Cracker”.

Nam June Paik, “Sound Cracker”, 1994 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

The exhibition space: Pittlerwerke

An impressive machine factory from the era of industrialization creates an appropriate symbolic framework for the exhibition. The obsolete machinery that one day generated the industrial revolution is replaced by the current digital revolution.

Pittlerwerke© SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

About Leipzig

Leipzig is a beautiful city with a long artistic tradition. It is located in eastern Germany, just over 1 hour by train from Berlin. Leipzig is Leibniz’s hometown. Leibniz developed elements of binary logic, which formed the foundations of computing. He was also receptive to the beauty and aesthetics of the binary (digital) world, thus anticipating the core of this digital art exhibition in this city. But not only, because all these personalities have their birthplace there: the composer Richard Wagner, the painter Max Beckmann or the communist Karl Liebknecht. Others worked during part of their lives in the city, such as the composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset studied in Leipzig where he had his first encounter with the Critique of Pure Reason.

LFKs, “Tour Réservoir – women from the Coucriauville neighborhood of Havre in France”, 2016. Photo: María Muñoz

Julien Maire, “Man at work”, 2014 © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

Golnaz Behrouznia & Dominique Peysson, “Phylogenése Inverse”, 2022 (detail) © SKK. Photo: Alexander Schippel

Todas read photos © Foundation for Art and Culture eV​ (SKK)

“Dimensions, digital art since 1859”until July 9
Pittlerwerke, Pittlerstraße 26
04159 Leipzig

All the info here.