Resources on diversity & the digital divide in art
August 8, 2016 8:49 AM   Subscribe

I’m writing a piece on the digital divide in the field of digital art, approaching the question of how museums and galleries can promote inclusion and diversity in the work they showcase when access to digital technologies is far from universal. I’m looking for research material related to these questions.

The emerging field of digital art – including data manipulation, virtual reality, 3D printing, etc. – provides opportunities for artists to explore humanity in relation to technology. But not everyone has access to the technologies that create this art. I’m writing about how museums and art galleries can use their collections and exhibits policies, educational efforts, and programming to showcase work from a diverse array of voices. I’m looking for articles, books, websites, or any other material relating to:

- The digital divide in general – who has access to modern technologies (internet, VR, advanced software, 3D printers) and who doesn’t? Information about access to virtual reality technologies would be especially apropos for this project. I have seen the White House report on mapping the digital divide, and it was helpful.

- How museums and galleries (as well as libraries, archives, and other cultural institutions) have made efforts to bridge the digital divide in policy or programming. How these institutions have encouraged inclusion more generally.

- The emerging diversity issues in digital art. Any information on the demographics of digital artists. Any other relevant information on these topics.
posted by rabbitbookworm to Media & Arts (2 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I tripped across these articles today and thought they might be relevant to your interests:

How to give rural America broadband

At Seattle Art Fair, the interaction between technology and modern life
posted by Michele in California at 2:35 PM on August 8, 2016


My knowledge on this is kinda out of date but when I was involved in digital outreach programmes my city (UK) had a lot of projects going on. When I get back home in the next couple of weeks I can look through my notes and maybe memail you some information, if you're interested? It'll be historic mind, not contemporary. And it will be more a list of projects with a little bit of methodology included.

Off the top of my head - can't do links, sorry - Knowle West Media Project in Bristol is highly dynamic around new technologies and community involvement, and Watershed, Bristol has been involved with educational projects with schools, artists and communities on all sorts of levels. And for a foundational paradigm for working with communities you could look up Joe Lambert and the Digital Storytelling Movement.

But yeah, at the same time as people were first trying to analyse the ways in which digital media operate differently from traditional media, arts and educational institutions were taking digital inclusion very seriously, resulting in some interesting projects.

I just remembered - located media was another strand of this.
posted by glasseyes at 8:26 AM on August 9, 2016


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