Lumen Prize Exhibition: Swansea’s Adventure in Digital Art to support Creative Industries

The work of international digital artists who are using technology to drive innovation in art will be showcased at Swansea University’s School of Management on Monday, February 29, when it hosts the 2015 Lumen Prize Exhibition. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Lumen Prize – Electric SheepThe Lumen Prize, founded and based in Cardiff, celebrates art created digitally by artists, made on electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets, 3D printers and computers using apps, software, or original coding. Its goal is to celebrate the power and potential of this exciting genre through an annual competition and global tour of works selected by an eminent panel of judges. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The exhibition, which will be staged within the School of Management building at the University’s Bay Campus, is billed as an Adventure in Digital Art, and will feature the work of Lumen Prize winners, including a life-sized interactive app by Gold Prize winners Gibson/Martelli; a transformative sense and sound experience, Metamorphy (Silver Prize winner); and the Immersive Environment Award winner, New Jerusalem, a virtual reality experience.# ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

‌Lumen Prize – Marcus West imgeThe evening event will also include a mass participation masterclass with mobile digital landscape artist Joseph Anthony Connor, as well as displays of virtual reality art, voice activated art, augmented reality, interactive art, and generative art. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The School of Management will exhibit the Lumen Prize winners’ work for a year, as well as the participatory art created on the evening of February 29, in the session with Joseph Anthony Connor. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Marc Clement, Dean of Swansea University’s School of Management, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Lumen Prize, which has been described as “the world’s pre-eminent digital art prize” by The Guardian Culture Blog, to bring this exciting international exhibition to Swansea.
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“The collaboration between the School and Lumen is a truly Welsh-rooted venture and it allows students, staff, and visitors access to world-class contemporary art. It also coincides with the School’s focus on big data and the digital economy, building upon strong relations with both the arts and the business communities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

‌“The integration of contemporary art with the School’s core activities is fundamentally part of the new direction we are taking. And, importantly, it builds upon the University’s tenet – visible in its coat of arms – that ‘Technical Skill is Bereft Without Culture’. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As a Welsh-based prize, Lumen is proud to be partnering with Swansea University’s School of Management on this exciting event,” said Lumen Prize Director, Carla Rapoport. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Digitally-created art has been around as long as the computer itself, but the accessibility we have to new technologies today is unsurpassed, resulting in a boom of digital creativity in the last few years. Come see the results yourself in the School of Management’s beautiful new building.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The evening of Adventure in Digital Art follows on from the highly successful conference the School of Management hosted last month in partnership with Visit Wales, An Adventure in Big Data, in their Year of Adventure, which welcomed what is believed to be the UK’s first artist-in-residence at a conference to co-create art with the School. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The resulting artwork ‘Low Coal’ (pronounced ‘Local’), created by Cardiff-based graffiti/aerosol artist and illustrator Rmer (pronounced ‘Armour’), real name Bradley Woods, is now on permanent display at the School. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our investment in digital art and in the co-creation of art reflects not only the uses of new technology, but also to reflect those areas of art creation which is being prioritised by many leading brands and leading businesses,” added Professor Clement. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Creative Industries are one of the fastest growing sectors in Wales. Welsh Government figures show 75,000 people work in the ‘Creative Economy’ in Wales, according to official statistics for 2013. Of these, nearly 50,000 work in the Creative Industries, and around 25,000 work in creative occupations outside the Creative Industries.

“The School of Management is delighted to support the Creative Industries in this way by being the only UK university to host the 2015 Lumen Prize Exhibition. Collaboration and partnership working with innovators from all of Wales’ industries and business sectors is also key to our continued development, growth, and success.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​