The arrival of the digital age has created an unprecedented feeling of alienation. Communication has changed and we now rely on technology to interact, presenting ourselves in ways that are evolving beyond control. The sense that the public is merging with the domestic has also spread into a larger, blurred depiction of reality. Surveillance is becoming a prevalent and inescapable issue internationally.

Dr Cadence Kinsey, Lecturer in Recent & Contemporary Art at the University of York, investigates the relationship between art and technology in the next Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition talk. This will take place from 12:30 on 13 July at York Art Gallery. She will identify the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital age and how artists are responding to technological advancements. Investigating how contemporary art is the mechanism that enables us to respond to this renewed understanding of living, Kinsey will invite the audiences into a discussion against the backdrop of the Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition.

The 2017 presentation features the work of 16 shortlisted artists who hail from diverse locations including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, the USA and the UK. Utilising a range of media, they work within the categories of Photographic & Digital Art; Painting, Drawing & Mixed Media; Three Dimensional Design & Sculpture. and Video, Installation & Performance. Images of 84 longlisted pieces will be shown on monitors within the gallery – offering a unique chance for visitors to explore the breadth and diversity of work being produced across the world today.

Cadence Kinsey, Art After the Internet, Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition, 26 May – 10 September (Daily 10am – 5pm), York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York YO1 7EW. For admission details, visit www.yorkartgallery.org.uk

Credits
1. Anne Madeleine, Currents (2016)