Knowledge and relationships
Today in our digital age, the sharing and the relationship to knowledge prevail. The acquisition of knowledge is at hand, and for all. We only have to get informed and to learn from the Web. I no longer teach art history as before, because, while in class, all the students look at Wikipedia on their laptop screen, just in front of me; nor do I teach painting the same way. Furthermore, it is my duty to visit my medical physician in a very informed manner. It is up to me to build little bridges between bits of knowledge acquired here and there on the Net.
As a visual artist, I cannot practice art as before, because the gallerist and the savvy buyer know. Establishing connections in knowledge is more difficult than identifying knowledge itself. Today, the creative act is in relating knowledge, knowledge easily detectable on the Web. It is these creative relationships, which will make your work a new work, a different work revealing your true self, your authenticity. These differences are drawn from contingency, contexts, theirs, yours, and, your present, your « here and now ».
The digital world has and will continue to disrupt
“the way of the world” as we have known and practised it. Guttenburg created a revolution when he invented the printing press. “Knowledge” was transferred to the masses. The digital revolution is another big footprint on the evolutionary pathway of “knowing”.
Absolutely!