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Artistic Reality:How art is embracing technology to change the way we see the worldby Karin Maraneyguerrilla exhibition at MoMA, art not ads in Times Square, mysterious black and white squares in Agora Gallery... This isA how technology is changing the art world. Subtle, intriguing and far-reaching, these kinds of developments are altering theway in which we view the world. Ultimately, they insure that art is becoming ever more a part of our lives – and that our lives areincreasingly characterized by our awareness of art.If you visit Agora Gallery you will see that, next to each artist’s work, there is a piece of paper with their name, more about theirwork, their photograph, and a black and white image that looks like a barcode. These are called QR codes, and they are anexample of the way Agora Gallery is always concerned to stay up-to-date with the latest technology which could be valuable inpromoting our talented artists. They were introduced at Agora Gallery on the advice of Artist Agent Laura Di Bello. In this article,you’ll learn more about QR codes and what they’re being used for, as well the ways new technology like these codes are transformingthe art world as we know it.‘QR’ stands for ‘Quick Response’ and that’s exactly what these codes are for. The idea is that they are placed in locations wherethey will be easily noticed, sometimes as part of an advertisement, other times as part of the material about a product. Whenyou see one, you can immediately get out your phone, scan the QR code, and be taken straight to the webpage that will tell youmore about it.They’re increasingly popular – you’ve probably come across hundreds just in the last month or two. They’re great because theyreally are quick response; as soon as you see something you’d like to learn more about, you simply scan the code and then reviewthe page it sends you to. You can use them just for fun, when you happen to be curious and want more information, but they canalso be extremely useful in more practical ways.For instance, if a QR code on a poster has just taken you to the website of an event you would like to go to, you can buy ticketsonline there and then, or bookmark or email yourself the link so that you won’t forget to discuss it later on with friends who mightwant to go with you. You can also email it or share it directly with them. If you’re at Agora Gallery and your attention is caught byan artwork that you can’t stop looking at, all you have to do is scan the QR code on the wall next to the painting, photograph orsculpture, and you have the instant ability to take a look at the artist’s page to see more of their work, and learn more about their42 ARTisSpectrum