DOMENICO QUARANTA
Ayers [64] explains that on one hand artists are finally coming to terms with the idea of work of art as object, while on the other technological progress is also giving a helping hand: «The computerization of hardware, the advances in software, rapid advances in screen technology, the continuous miniaturization of components, and decreasing costs for all of this mean that artworks that were unimaginable even five years ago can be made, exhibited, and collected today».
This does not detract from the fact that collecting New Media Art almost always involves a healthy dose of uncertainty, which in some ways adds to its appeal: «The difference between owning new media art and older forms is not unlike the difference between keeping pets and plants. “Things can go wrong,” says Sacks. “And depending on the complexity of the work, many things can go wrong. But the magic of the piece doesn’t exist without that.”»
All things considered, it looks as if the Consummation is finally drawing near. The final embrace might be less passionate than the fanfares of 2001 led us to hope, but at least there is to be an embrace. That is, if artists, collectors, museums and galleries are not left alone to support this work in the contemporary art arena. In the light of what has been discussed so far, it appears to be the critics and curators who are lagging behind. In the forthcoming chapter I will dwell briefly on the critical strategies that can be developed to accompany New Media Art along this challenging but intriguing path.
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