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devices in everyday usage, including laptops,
smart phones, smart meters, RFIDs (radiofrequency
identification), etc. The number of
these in use is set to increase worldwide from
the current 4.5 billion to 50 billion by 2050 and
may even include human implants.
Life as we know it is undergoing a multitude of
minuscule but incredibly significant changes
that are altering not only how we relate to each
other and the world, but also how we conceive
of ourselves as beings within it. If the Internet
of Things is a dominant emerging social reality
in which our graduates will find themselves,
how will they contend with it And what is the
place of art within such a reality
Four years ago I introduced computer
programming as a core mandatory skill taught
to all our fine art students, alongside more
traditional skills. It is interesting to see how,
as they approach their degree show, some of
them have been able to apply creative coding to
augment their existing practice in other media.
Just as installation art was a paradigm of 20th
century art, one wonders what the emerging
paradigm of the 21st will be, and whether it
will involve using code to enhance the already
interactive aspects of artworks. Maybe this
year’s degree shows will offer us some clues.
Aside from the Internet of Things revolution,
we live in a world where our effect on the
ecosphere is causing the climate to become
ever-more extreme, and there are now five
billion more people on the planet than there
was at the start of the 20th century, putting
increased pressure on resources. How are
today’s art programmes engaging with these
issues and how is this engagement articulated
through this year’s degree shows Is the
material we are teaching in terms of history
and theory the most relevant discourses we
could be feeding our students in this new
emerging reality Are the arts losing the debate
on value because we don’t understand the
argument
When considering art programmes and degree
shows, I sometimes wonder if we are not
witnessing the last throws of an old cultural
order too confused by the enormity of the
historical moment we are living through to
effectively engage with our emerging social
reality. Art, after all, is a material means of
thinking about the world around us. What
makes art valuable is its ability to apprehend
the conditions of our lives and articulate them
in such a manner that they become tangible
as propositions and questions to be inhabited.
The extent to which our graduates can manage
to do this will determine the future value of art
and its place within society.
So, at this year’s degree shows, congratulate our
young artists’ labours and let them know how
much you appreciate their efforts. The world is
becoming a more volatile place and the road
ahead for graduates seems much more difficult
than it was – we owe them our support.
Justin McKeown is head of fine art
and computer science at York St John
University, York
“What will the
emerging paradigm
of 21st century
art be and will it
involve using code to
enhance the already
interactive aspects
of artworks Maybe
this year’s degree
shows will
offer some clues”
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Glasgow School of Art,
Fine Art degree show, 2013
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