Contemporary Art and New Media

Abstract

New media not only offers expanded possibilities for art, but also valuable insights into the aesthetic applications and social implications of science and technology. In seeking legitimacy, new media art (NMA) has not only tried to place its practices within the theoretical and exhibition contexts of mainstream contemporary artworld (MCA) but also has developed its own theoretical language and institutional contexts. The former attempts generally have been so fruitless and the latter so successful that an autonomous and isolated NMA artworld emerged. It has expanded rapidly and internationally since the mid-1990s, and has all the amenities found in MCA, except, of course, the market and legitimacy of MCA. This chapter explains the central points of convergence and divergence between MCA and NMA. It also constructs a hybrid discourse that offers nuanced insights into each.

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