Posted on Apr 8, 2018 on Create Hub, here. Technologists and artists collaborating Samuel Fry explains how more innovative and beneficial experiences are created when technology companies and artists collaborate. It is my strong opinion that when technologists and artists challenge each other they build more innovative experiences. In this article, I explain the benefits of artists and technology companies working together, I give some examples of where collaborations have taken place and explain my hopes for the future. Benefits of artists and tech companies collaborating When the arts and tech industries explore ideas together, artists and tech companies naturally challenge each other as they bring their own expertise. Typically, artists will challenge the tech companies on their vision for society, the ethics behind their work, plus they will interrogate notions of trust and transparency. While the technology companies bring an understanding of how businesses operate, how to make sure ideas are commercially sustainable, they bring technological experience and their own methodologies (such as Design Thinking) to understand and solve problems. IBM and creatives Eero Saarinen, Ray and Charles EamesOf course, artists and technology companies have often worked together. It’s happened in some form or another for a long time. A great example of this took place at IBM in 1964. IBM were due to take part in the New York World Fair. Their aim at that time was to show the wider public that computers were nothing to be scared of. To demonstrate this, they decided to work with designers, architects and filmmakers Charles and Ray Eames, plus with designer and architect Eero Saarinen. Together they created an exhibit at the World Fair that was groundbreaking, futuristic and thought-provoking. Their creation – the IBM pavilion – featured at its centre an exhibit where 400 guests at a time were lifted into the air into a gigantic Ovoid Theater where they were shown a presentation called Think on 22 multi-sized, multi-shaped screens. The presentation explained how computers, like humans, approach problem-solving. Then below the theatre were various stands, showing an exhibition titled Mathematica: A World of Numbers… and Beyond which demonstrated how computers could be an integral part of our future. The video below showcases the work of Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen and IBM: Steve Jobs, Apple and the liberal artsOf course, IBM are not the only ones to have seen the benefits of collaborating with artists.
Steve Jobs often attributed the success of Apple’s early work to the ‘liberal arts mindset’ of its employees. In an interview in 1995, which has now been produced as a standalone feature called ‘Steve Jobs – The Lost Interview’, Jobs explains that ‘Part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians, poets, artists, zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world.’ For Steve Jobs, Apple were successful with building the Macintosh because those working on it were not just trying to build a better computer, they were trying to build a better society. Examples of artists collaborating with technology companies There are various other examples of technology companies working with artists. Google Cultural Institute are creating technologies that make the worlds cultural heritage accessible online to everyone while building new technologies with artists, for many years Intel Labs have worked with artists around their research ideas plus companies like Cisco and BT have begun working with academics at University of Manchester and artistic organisations like Future Everything to build city-wide technologically-driven artistic experiences. There are also a huge number of examples of technologists working with artists. Hello Lampost, for example is city-wide system that lets you talk to street furniture, WearAQ gets schoolchildren to signal the air pollution levels using wearable technology and there’s an artificial intelligence called FRANK that gives personal guidance on your existential dilemmas. In my work at IBM there are a host of activities that we are involved in, including an art exhibition co-created by an artificial intelligence based on the hidden personalities of famous people – called Hidden Portraits, events where artists and technologists come together to explore the future of technologies and a fully funded arts PhD at Royal College of Art exploring ‘how we approach the design of human and machine conversations in the near future?’. Each of these, in their own way act as proof that when technologists and artists challenge each other they build more innovative experiences. How can tech companies work with artists So, how can technology companies work with artists (and visa verse)? Well, I think there are a few clear ways to do this. Firstly, we need to run inspiring events where artists, technologists and tech companies exhibit and share their experiences. These can’t just be done in silos. Instead, there needs to be an effort on both sides to encourage this sharing. We need to inspire each other and encourage one another to innovate. Secondly, we need to get artists and tech companies discussing ideas around technology together. Technology topics are increasingly becoming social topics, so it’s important to talk about the impacts of technology on the world. In my mind, this is best done when technologists, tech companies, artists, academics, philosophers and other creative minds explore ideas together. We should create combined visions for how we use technology and how it is adopted by society. When we work together, we create stronger, more meaningful and better experiences. Finally, we need to work together on actual projects. Whether they have a financial benefit or not, we need to come together to challenge one another. When we do this, what we create will be more interesting and innovative.
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