Abstract
When observing the role of the digital image in contemporary society, it is easy to become cynical. Advances in computer science that afford image-based discourse are often influenced by nefarious drivers: drone surveillance and facial recognition limit privacy, while AI-driven deepfakes, informed by art and design practice, spread misinformation and often ethically shameful pornography.
Although this dystopia of codified images threatens to smother us, communities representing a lighter side of image generation, and the collision of art and science, exist. Rather than serving opposing political masters to their counterparts, however, these communities allude to an almost a-political mode of creative and scientific expression. These communities represent a sort of “digital utopia”. To explore this notion, this paper will examine the Demoscene community.
Demoscene emerged from the computing underground of the late 1970s, where “Demosceners” would produce real-time audio-visual productions, aimed at pushing the limitations of coder, artist, and hardware. Demosceners are driven to “achieve the impossible” by pushing machines of the time via creative algorithmic programming, outputting inspiring generative art. Famously, Demosceners create art using machines such as the Commodore 64, Amiga 500/1000, ZX Spectrum, Atari, PC.
In effect, Demoscene exists for “pure” reasons, driven by artistic and algorithmic passion. A global phenomenon, Demoscene represents an alternative to the agenda-driven practices of image manipulation, vision and generation. Although a truly non-political space is impossible, exploring Demoscene from this perspective provides a remedy to the Dark Eden we find ourselves in online. After all, it is the impossible that Demoscene seeks to overcome.
Although this dystopia of codified images threatens to smother us, communities representing a lighter side of image generation, and the collision of art and science, exist. Rather than serving opposing political masters to their counterparts, however, these communities allude to an almost a-political mode of creative and scientific expression. These communities represent a sort of “digital utopia”. To explore this notion, this paper will examine the Demoscene community.
Demoscene emerged from the computing underground of the late 1970s, where “Demosceners” would produce real-time audio-visual productions, aimed at pushing the limitations of coder, artist, and hardware. Demosceners are driven to “achieve the impossible” by pushing machines of the time via creative algorithmic programming, outputting inspiring generative art. Famously, Demosceners create art using machines such as the Commodore 64, Amiga 500/1000, ZX Spectrum, Atari, PC.
In effect, Demoscene exists for “pure” reasons, driven by artistic and algorithmic passion. A global phenomenon, Demoscene represents an alternative to the agenda-driven practices of image manipulation, vision and generation. Although a truly non-political space is impossible, exploring Demoscene from this perspective provides a remedy to the Dark Eden we find ourselves in online. After all, it is the impossible that Demoscene seeks to overcome.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Transdisciplinary Imaging Full Conference Proceedings 2020 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Dark Eden |
| Place of Publication | Sydney |
| Publisher | Transdisciplinary Imaging Conference |
| Pages | 1-7 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | International Conference on Transdisciplinary Imaging at the Intersections between Art, Science and Culture (6th : 2020): Dark Eden - Sydney, Australia Duration: 6 Nov 2020 → 8 Nov 2020 |
Conference
| Conference | International Conference on Transdisciplinary Imaging at the Intersections between Art, Science and Culture (6th : 2020) |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Sydney |
| Period | 6/11/20 → 8/11/20 |