Five Degrees of Separation between Art and New Media: Art and Technology Projects under the Critical Lens

Given the rise in participatory theories, it is surprising to note that early art and technology projects and new media have been generally excluded from the major art historical trajectories delineating the emergence of socially engaged forms of art spectatorship. They have been mainly associated with theories of interaction rather than with Nicolas Bourriaud's influential theory of relational aesthetics. This separation is a sign of a much larger historical divide between new media and contemporary art. By analyzing critical responses to exhibitions from the late 1960s and early 1970s, I aim to identify the main criteria employed in the evaluation of collaborations between artists, engineers, and art institutions. Some of these criteria highlighted the persistent separation between humanity and technology, contemplation and participation, perception and thought. I argue that the heated discords over the value of early art and technology projects foreshadowed current debates over the social implications of new media.