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Revitalizing Art through Ancient Traditions and Modern Innovation

Article · January 2025

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Revitalizing Art through Ancient Traditions and
Modern Innovation

By George Konstantinidis
Copyright © 2025 George Konstantinidis

Email: [email protected]

Figure 1

Beeple's Everydays: The First 5000 Days (2021)

In May 2007, digital artist Beeple (Mike Winnkelmann) began an archive of digital
pictures by posting it in his own website to create a kind of a mural of the images
created, reproduced and disseminated in the digital world. For 13-and-a-half-years, he
saved day by day over thousands of images that have been brought together in the
collage titled Everydays: The First 5000 days. According to Chritie’s: “In
EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, the artist has stitched together recurring themes
and color schemes into an aesthetic whole. The individual pieces are organized in loose
chronological order: zooming in reveals pictures by turn abstract, fantastical, grotesque
or absurd, deeply personal or representative of current events. Recurring themes
include society’s obsession with and fear of technology; the desire for and resentment
of wealth; and America’s recent political turbulence.”

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Introduction
Art has always been a reflection of humanity’s deepest emotions, conflicts, and
aspirations. From the grandeur of Renaissance frescoes to the existential intensity of
Van Gogh’s canvases and the searing immediacy of Picasso’s Guernica, great art has
often embodied a sense of "drama"—a raw, emotional power that resonates across
time. However, contemporary art, for all its innovation and intellectual depth, is often
critiqued for lacking this dramatic intensity.

By embracing collaboration across visual arts, cinema, and music, and by returning to
outdoor, immersive, and communal settings, art can reconnect with the grandeur and
emotional impact of its historical predecessors while leveraging the possibilities of
modern technology.

This vision not only calls for a renewed emphasis on universal themes and collective
experiences but also explores how the integration of cutting-edge tools—like virtual
reality and projection mapping—can transform how audiences engage with art. By
fusing the timeless with the contemporary, this approach holds the potential to
redefine the boundaries of artistic expression and rekindle art's dramatic core for a
modern world.

The 21st century has witnessed a dynamic evolution in visual arts, marked by
groundbreaking technological advancements, shifting cultural paradigms, and
innovative artistic practices. Here are some of the major achievements and trends:

1. Integration of Technology and Art

Digital Art and NFTs: The rise of digital art forms and blockchain technology
revolutionized art ownership and monetization. Notable works like Beeple's
Everydays: The First 5000 Days (2021) (figure 1), made headlines, selling for $69
million at auction.

Augmented and Virtual Reality: Artists began using AR and VR to create

immersive experiences, such as Olafur Eliasson's Your View Matter (Figure 2) and
Marina Abramović's The Life (2019).

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 Figure 2
“Your view matter” (2022)
Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi

In Your view matter, 2022, a new artwork using virtual-reality technology, transports
visitors into a series of six spaces, five of which take the form of the Platonic solids,
while the sixth is a sphere. Known since ancient times, the Platonic solids are the
only geometric forms that can be produced using identical, regular polygons for
faces. These five forms – the tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, dodecahedron,
and cube – have been accorded special significance in philosophy, religion, science,
and alchemy over the millennia. In Your view matter, visitors journey through these
spaces in virtual reality accompanied by a pulsing minimalist soundtrack created by
the artist himself. They can examine the complex geometry from within the forms by
moving around and looking in all directions. The walls and ceilings – some of which
are quite colorful, while others appear in stark black and white – scintillate with ever-
changing moirés, distortions that arise wherever similar patterns are overlaid and
clash. As visitors move about the virtual spaces of the artwork, the patterns change in
response to their shifting perspectives, encouraging them in turn to move even more.
The moiré patterns, and thus the artwork, only exist in the viewer’s perceptual
apparatus through the meeting up of their physical bodies with the digitally
programmed space.

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AI and Generative Art: Artificial intelligence tools like DALL·E (figure 3)
MidJourney, and DeepDream enabled artists to explore new creative processes,
producing works that challenge traditional ideas of authorship and creativity.

Figure 3
Produced by “Dalle 4,” AI-Image Generator

2. Redefining Mediums and Formats

Installation Art: Large-scale, interactive installations by artists like Yayoi
Kusama (Infinity Mirrors) and teamLab (Borderless) (figure 4) became cultural
phenomena.

Figure 4
teamLab, “Borderless” (Light Sculpture)
MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM

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Street Art and Murals: Artists like JR pushed street art into the mainstream,
using it for activism and storytelling.

Sculpture and 3D Printing: 3D printing allowed for intricate, previously

impossible sculptural designs, merging technology with traditional sculptural
techniques.

3. Expanding Cultural Narratives

Globalization of Art: Artists from diverse cultural backgrounds gained
international recognition, enriching the global art scene by the globalization of Art.
Politically charged works and El Anatsui's innovative use of recycled materials
enhanced the globalization of Art.

Decolonization and Representation: Museums and galleries focused on

showcasing underrepresented voices, such as Indigenous artists and artists from the
Global South.

Intersectional Themes: Visual arts increasingly addressed issues like climate

change, gender identity, and racial justice. For example, the work of Kara Walker
confronts racial and historical narratives.

4. Rethinking Traditional Spaces

Alternative Exhibition Spaces: Art moved beyond galleries into
unconventional venues like public spaces, online platforms, and even video games
(Fortnite's virtual Travis Scott concert as an art performance).

Biennials and Art Fairs: Global art events like the Venice Biennale and Art
Basel became crucial for showcasing emerging trends and talents.

5. Sustainability and Eco-Art

Many artists turned to sustainable practices and ecological themes. Olafur Eliasson’s
Ice Watch (2014) and Agnes Denes’s Tree Mountain – A Living Time Capsule
(1996–ongoing) are examples of art addressing environmental issues.

6. Hybridization with Other Disciplines

Art and Science: Artists collaborated with scientists, exploring themes like
genetics, space exploration, and neuroscience. Eduardo Kac’s GFP Bunny (a
genetically modified fluorescent rabbit) exemplifies bio-art.

Cinematic and Multimedia Art: The lines between cinema, performance, and
visual arts blurred with projects like Christian Marclay’s The Clock (2010).

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7. Accessibility and Democratization
Social Media Impact: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok became crucial for
artists to reach global audiences, democratizing art dissemination.

Open Access and Online Collections: Major institutions, such as the Met and
the Getty Museum, made vast archives of art available online, transforming public
engagement.

These achievements collectively underscore the 21st century's dynamic and

interdisciplinary approach to visual arts, reflecting a rapidly changing world while
pushing the boundaries of creativity. But by pushing the boundaries of creativity,
contemporary art lost its “drama.” There is nowhere in contemporary art the drama we
see in Renaissance art, in Van Gogh, and in Picasso’s Guernica. The perspective that
contemporary art has lost its “drama” compared to the works of the Renaissance, Van
Gogh, or Picasso is a compelling critique, but it largely depends on how we define
“drama” in art. If by "drama" we mean the intense emotional depth, universal themes,
or existential struggle evident in historical masterpieces, then contemporary art might
indeed feel different, but not necessarily lesser. For example: Consider the following
thoughts:

1. Shifting Modes of Expression

Historical Art as a Reflection of Existential Struggles: Renaissance art,
Van Gogh's works, and Picasso's Guernica emerged from specific socio-political and
personal contexts. These works grappled with profound themes—spirituality, human
suffering, or the horrors of war—and used recognizable imagery to evoke universal
emotions.

Contemporary Art's Conceptual Focus: Many contemporary works

prioritize ideas, abstraction, or interactivity over traditional emotional resonance.
While the "drama" may not be as overt, the intellectual engagement can be equally
profound.

2. Changing Definitions of Drama

Subtlety Over Grandeur: The drama of contemporary art often resides in its
subtlety or its commentary on complex, modern phenomena like identity, technology,
or ecological collapse. Works like Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds (a meditation on
mass production and individuality) may lack the overt emotional weight of Guernica,
but they convey drama in quieter, more conceptual ways.

The Everyday as Drama: Contemporary art often elevates mundane or

overlooked aspects of life, finding drama in the ordinary. This can feel less
monumental but speaks to the human condition in different ways.

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 3. Emotional Impact in Contemporary Art
Performance Art and Immersive Experiences: Marina Abramović’s The
Artist is Present (2010) or the climate-focused works of Olafur Eliasson provoke
visceral reactions, arguably capturing the "drama" in new, participatory forms.

Crisis-Oriented Works: Contemporary art is deeply entwined with global crises.

For instance, climate change installations (like Eliasson's Ice Watch) and Black Lives
Matter murals embody the drama of our times, albeit through new mediums and
collective voices rather than singular, iconic imagery.

4. The Democratization of Drama

Collective Drama vs. Individual Genius: In earlier eras, dramatic art was
often the product of singular "genius" figures. Contemporary art tends to be more
collective, reflecting diverse voices and global concerns. This shift might diffuse the
intensity of drama associated with a singular artistic vision.

Art Beyond the Object: The drama today is often in the process, activism, or
communal impact rather than in the finished product. For example, Christo and
Jeanne-Claude’s large-scale environmental works derive their emotional power from
the spectacle and collective experience they create.

5. Nostalgia and Emotional Framing

Romanticization of the Past: The drama of earlier art periods may feel more
potent because we are removed from their immediacy. Over time, iconic works gain
layers of cultural and historical meaning that amplify their emotional resonance.

Contemporary Art Lacks Time’s Patina: It's possible that many

contemporary works will gain the "drama" is missing as future generations
contextualize their significance.

Conclusion

While the dramatic intensity of Renaissance art or Van Gogh’s emotional outpourings
may seem absent in many contemporary works, this is more a reflection of changing
cultural and artistic priorities than a decline in quality or depth. Contemporary art
often chooses subtle, intellectual, or systemic approaches over overt emotionality.
However, this does not preclude drama—it simply manifests in ways that may be less
immediately recognizable or comparable to historical paradigms. The power of Greek
drama lay in its ability to provoke catharsis—an emotional and intellectual release.
Contemporary creators could focus on this primal connection, using visual
storytelling, music, and performance to deeply move audiences.

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