omg.ibk
With the “open multimedia gallery innsbruck (omg ibk)”, Bertram Schrettl and I offered an exhibition in public space (May 20, 2022 - June 17, 2022), which showed digital art by some of the most prominent contemporary artists and art collectives with a Tyrol connection. The works of Karin Ferrari, Nicole Weniger, Franz Wassermann, Thomas Feuerstein, Clemens Ascher, David Prieth, Florian Ausserlechner, Ivona Macejevska & Ignas Varanauskas, as well as Christoph Hinterhuber & Hoolshopper form interfaces between public and digital space, with the advantages of both worlds were linked to a coherent and visitor-friendly gallery concept. At the same time, my partner, the comparative literary scholar Bertram Schrettl, and I were particularly keen to generate an exhibition format that took into account all the measures taken by the legislature to combat the uncontrolled spread of Covid19 and thus minimize the risk of infection for visitors . In order to meet this requirement, we have made the entire exhibition accessible 24/7 in the outdoor public space. This made it possible for visitors to spread themselves out generously both in terms of time and location. In order to address the target group as specifically as possible and at the same time not force the works of art on anyone, the output/reproduction of the digital works was linked to the initial actions of the visitors. The “digital rooms” remained “locked” until a visitor opened the corresponding “lock” (QR code) and thus accomplished the output/playback of the digital work of art. The majority of society uses the necessary “key” every day, namely the smartphone. The users only needed an internet connection and a specific app format, which really took off, especially during the Corona pandemic, and has since become part of the standard repertoire of every smartphone/tablet (end device) in order to be able to output/play back the digital works of art start. This refers to QR code scanners.