Technology and the Arts

Our generation has been defined by technology. From iphones to ipods, surface pros to high performance computers, we have grown up in an age where Google always knows the answer, you aren’t dating until it is Facebook official, and leaving home without your phone simply isn’t an option.

Technology has allowed for new types of art to develop and flourish but it has also changed the way which the classical arts are experienced and pursued. The Metropolitan Opera in New York City is one company who has accepted the challenges and advantages which technology presents. In 2006, the Metropolitan Opera launched their program “The Met: Live in HD” which live streams opera performances to movie theaters around the world. The live transmissions has made the physical location of the operas more accessible, and while a movie theater experience is different than an opera house, the transmissions have added a aspect to the performance – the art of filmatography.

Designer Lesia Trubat González created a wearable electronic called E-Traces which has added an additionally layer of art to the classical art form of ballet. The concept of the technology is to capture the movements which occur during dance and translate them into a two dimensional visual experience. The sensors are attached to the pointe shoes and, when in contact with the ground, the sensors record the pressure and movement of the dancer’s feet then sending a signal to an electronic device which shows the data graphically.

While E-Traces is not revolutionary, it is an interesting application of how technology can impact the manner in which art is experienced. This technological advancement, along with programs such as “The Met: Live in HD”, have provided new avenues to experience the classical arts making them more accessible and practical in today’s technology infused society.