How can the art world live up to the new demands of rapid technological change?

The full impact of the digital revolution is hard to grasp, as are its social and cultural effects. What is evident is that the consequences of an interconnected world now influence most aspects of our private and public spheres. Phenomena such as smartphones, the Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have radically transformed and continue to change human interaction, and our relationship to technology. As the machine is becoming more and more imperceptible, our dependence on its functions increases. The emerging technology also raises concern — in view of the fast-developing AI industry, the idea of ethics in computer programming is paramount, as are the issues of having a handful of dominating corporate actors, and the intensified digital surveillance of private life.

Similarly, new technology is affecting the arts, as it has throughout history; and the scientific fields are being bridged by artistic experimental practices. Technical innovations and their applications are also challenging museums, structurally and practically. Established methods for collecting, curating and interpreting are tackled by novel artistic practices and new means of communicating. However, in the so-called Post-Fact era, the cultural institutions could serve as unique spaces for reflecting and discussing democracy. How can the art world live up to the new demands of rapid technological change? What type of intelligence is required by a museum in the future?