onScreen
Ars Electronica Gallery for Digital Video Art & Design

2002

Joachim Smetschka (AT)

The series of exhibits "onScreen"—the Ars Electronica Gallery for Digital Video Art & Design which was launched in 2001—presents the latest developments in the field of visual media: computer-based video art, screen design, graphics and animation.

In the wake of rapid developments in video hardware and software over recent years, gaining access to the world of high-quality digital video production and processing has become considerably easier, and not just for artists.

Today, any well-equipped PC is capable of processing digital video in practically loss-free quality and turning out end products in tolerable rendering times.

Thus, users can go as far as their technical and creative capabilities take them, and are limited only by the formats and norms prescribed by the video industry and not, as was the case just a few years ago, by the difficulty of accessing expensive studios and equipment way out of a typical consumer's price range.

The enormous possibilities of image generation through the use of ever more highly perfected technologies have been delighting us for years with previously undreamed-of fantasy worlds on film and video. George Lucas and his associates maintain whole armies of digital artists in their studios to transform even the lamest concepts and scripts into brilliant blockbusters. Even with the release of Final Fantasy and Episode III, the highpoints have not yet been reached, but it is still high time to pose the question: How did this all get started and wasn't everything a lot better way back when?

The answer from "onScreen" is: we don't have the slightest idea, but how about trying to see how the simple means of yesteryear can be combined with the technologies of today?

Just look and see:

At onScreen, users can access the videos and video stills as well as information about the works and their producers.