The ArtTech Manifesto

Art and technology have long shared a symbiotic relationship, deeply rooted in the fabric of human civilization. From the earliest empires, such as the Egyptians, the Romans, and the Maya, this connection has been evident, with each new technological advancement unlocking novel avenues for artistic expression and exploration. On the other hand, art has consistently served as a catalyst for technological innovation, its boundless creativity and imagination urging the development of new tools, techniques, and methods. This mutual impact emphasizes the integral role both art and technology play in shaping our society, reflecting our evolving cultural narrative and pushing the boundaries of what we perceive as possible.

In recent decades, the Arts and Culture sectors have lost their importance within society. Wrongly perceived as a sector for hobbyists, we have not managed to change the story and reposition ourselves as leaders of the New Digital Age. But in this new era of our society, where creativity takes center stage and where technologies like AI and XR make the impossible possible, Art has the opportunity to once again shape our society’s future. To do that, as a sector, we need to embrace these new technologies.

There is a stigma in the Arts and Culture around the application of technology and the impact it will have on the sector. But instead of burying our heads in the sand and continuing our practices how we have done for decades, we must collectively acknowledge a new landscape with new opportunities and new players. We must become leaders in shaping that landscape by pioneering the ArtTech Renaissance.

I plead for more innovation within the Arts and Culture and for finding new ways to fund these initiatives differently. This is my ArtTech Manifesto for the Integration of Technology in Arts and Culture.

I. Introduction to a New Era in Arts and Culture

In a new era where technological innovation defines the pace of progress, the Arts and Culture sector finds itself at a pivotal crossroads. Do we innovate or do we preserve? Throughout history, Arts and Culture have always shaped the fabric of our society. It is our imagination and creativity that push the boundaries of what humanity can achieve. However, with the arrival of novel technologies and a shift to a more digital way of thinking, the Arts and Culture are no longer the leading sector in shaping our society. We must reclaim our critical and vital role in this digital age.

The Arts and Culture can provide critical reflections, contribute to ethical frameworks of our digital society, and offer a more human perspective to the fast-paced innovation of the tech industry.

That said, the integration of technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), is no longer an option but a critical necessity for the survival, evolution, and enhancement of the Arts and Culture sectors. This manifesto serves as an urgent call to policymakers, funders, and stakeholders for a strategic and thoughtful integration of technology into the arts and cultural practices. The ArtTech Manifesto further identifies a broad range of areas ready for innovation and proposes a new funding structure for how we must fund these ArtTech projects:

1. Redefining Operational Efficiency
2. Sustainability: Environmental and Financial
3. Discovery: Accessibility, Distribution & Analytics
4. Immersive & Interactive Engagement
5. Enrichment of the Creative Process
6. Preservation
7. Ownership
8. Collaboration
9. Hybrid Funding Mechanisms
10. Entrepreneurial Stimulation in the Arts and Culture

I am convinced that ArtTech is bound to lead the Arts and Culture sector into the future and reposition ourselves as society’s pioneers and leaders of the New Digital Era.

II. Economic Imperatives in the Face of Shrinking Funding

First and foremost, with the gradual decline of governmental funding sources, the Arts and Culture sector must adapt by employing innovative financial strategies.

In countries like the Netherlands, there is an enormous push for Fair Pay. In short, Fair Pay means better salaries and compensation for artists and makers. While I am an advocate for Fair Pay myself, it unravels a more pressing issue that the sector continues to ignore; how are we going to pay for everything? How will we be able to pay artists and makers fairly when there is less governmental funding but the workforce increases?

Rising unemployment within the sector will be inevitable, potentially leading to an outflow of artists and makers. But to become a leading sector again in the debate of our future society, we desperately need artists and makers. We need their creativity, reflection, and imagination.

I don’t agree with always looking for more government subsidies, especially in the Arts since we are so used to receiving them. We must first look at the way we use and deploy money in the sector. We need to become more sustainable and efficient at spending money. I believe that an organizational restructuring of the entire sector is upon us. Especially if we want to have a seat at the table again.

I firmly believe that AI and other technological tools offer an avenue to maximize financial efficiency. Through predictive analytics, deeper audience insights, budget optimization, digital revenue streams, and automated project management, technology can transform the way resources are allocated and utilized. Ensuring that even with limited funds, the sector can achieve more, reach farther, and create richer experiences.

III. Redefining Operational Efficiency through Technological Integration

Operational overhead is a significant concern in the Arts. It is why I identify and propose Operations as the first field of innovation within the sector. Here, technology, particularly AI, steps in not as a disruptor but as a powerful enabler.

AI can streamline tiresome administrative tasks, optimize production workflows, and offer better insights into identifying new revenue opportunities, to name a few potential areas. By automating routine processes, technology empowers artists and makers to focus on what they do best: creating. By reaching more operational efficiency with the implementation of technology as opposed to expensive manual labor, we can become financially lean. “Do more with less” is the motto that we need to adopt.

And yes, in the short term, by streamlining operations, AI will reduce the need for manual labor in administrative roles. Jobs will be lost. But in the long run, AI will be able to reduce costs, making the creation process more efficient, thereby enabling organizations to redirect their resources to more creative roles. More jobs in creative roles will be created, empowering more artists and makers to join the ArtTech Renaissance.

In other words, I believe that we need smaller teams in the offices so we can have larger artistic teams on the floor.

Startups like Tutti, Glissandoo, and Lanced are leading in this arena of ‘redefining operational efficiency’. At Lanced, we believe that creating an automated and streamlined platform for the management of teams and productions will unlock more accessibility to the creative process and make creating art more financially attainable for artists and makers.

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IV. Embracing Sustainability and Circular Economy Models

Sustainability is a critical issue that the Arts and Culture sector must address proactively. I propose Sustainability as the 2nd field of innovation.

Beyond recycling physical materials, there is a need to rethink how shows, exhibitions, and performances are conceptualized, produced, toured, and decommissioned. Implementing circular economy models, facilitated by technology, can lead to more sustainable practices. AI and data analytics can identify successful shows suitable for extended runs or revival, reducing the environmental and economic costs of continuously producing new content. Digital platforms can facilitate the sharing and repurposing of sets, costumes, and props, encouraging a culture of reuse and resourcefulness.

To develop more environmentally sustainable business models, I suggest looking at impact startups within the Climate, Carbon, and Fashion Industry.

Besides using Circular Business Models to become more environmentally sustainable, I also look at unlocking new revenue streams through digital platforms. By re-purposing our physical content in the digital realm we can generate more revenue from a singular show or production, essentially leading to a more financially sustainable model.

However, we live in a time where everyone fights for people’s attention on social media and other ‘creator economy’ platforms. Content gets lost. With the rise of the so-called ‘Creator Economy’ we have lost touch with what real creativity and artistry means. It is up to our sector to show what high quality content means. If we truly want to unlock new digital revenue streams for our sector, we must create and utilize our own sector-centralized platforms. I see great potential in the rise of more niche-related content platforms.

My favorite contestant in this arena is PerformVu, a platform for video art on demand. Think Netflix but then for watching actual art! PerformVu is not only a great platform for artists and makers to tap into new digital revenue streams, but it also makes art more accessible to the audience. Which is the next field of innovation…

V. Democratization of Art through Technological Accessibility

Technology possesses the transformative power to make art universally accessible. By leveraging VR, AR, and online streaming platforms (think of Spotify and Netflix), arts organizations can reach audiences who are physically or economically unable to attend traditional venues. This democratization of art not only expands the audience base but also fosters inclusivity, allowing people from diverse backgrounds to experience and engage with cultural content that was once beyond their reach.

MAE, CityRiddler, and MyCulture are great examples of how we can make art more accessible to the audience. My third field of proposed innovation is the way audiences discover art. Innovation can go two ways here; 1) distribution and 2) audience analytics.

Both types of innovations here are intertwined, one can’t be unlocked without the other. To understand how we can reach our audience and make our art more accessible, we must ask ourselves the following questions: Who is our audience? Where are they active? What are they talking about? How can we capture their interest?

Technology offers the potential to help in analyzing audience data, enabling arts organizations to make better-informed decisions that resonate with their audience’s preferences and expectations.

For this field, I look at the advertising industry. How accurate are the marketing strategies and do we capture the right types of data to be able to forecast trends? To understand your audience analytics means being able to drive more revenue. A startup in this realm that I love is MySmash Media, their platform for film and TV ideas has the ability to forecast trends in the industry. Leading the way for production companies to find and fund projects that could potentially reach bigger audiences more effectively.

Further, I also applaud the Dutch initiative Cultuurloket DigitAll. They help cultural institutions to strengthen contact with their audiences through funding digital technology projects. Enhancing or enabling audience accessibility is their core thesis.

VI. Engagement: Interactive and Immersive Art Experiences

In the New Digital Age, passive consumption of art is giving way to a desire for interaction and immersion. Technologies such as VR, AR, and interactive digital installations enable audiences to engage with art in new and profound ways. These technologies can transform a static viewing experience into a dynamic and engaging adventure. Those types of adventures further deepen the audience’s connection with the art and create more memorable, impactful experiences.

A separation can be made here between physical art that is digitally enhanced, or digital art that is digitally created and only digitally accessible. However, to me, the most interesting opportunity lies at the intersection of the two. Examples of some awesome startups that are working on that intersection are Artivive and Reasoned Art.

VII. Enriching the Creative Process with AI and Digital Tools

The role of AI in the creative process is one of exploration and augmentation rather than replacement. It is my firm belief that AI will not replace artists. We humans react to the self-expression of other humans, called cognitive empathy, this self-expression and talent is what gives human-created art its golden spark. Our interaction with AI-created art is profoundly different. Nevertheless, if we talk about AI-generated artworks, I do see AI having its own Art domain. 

What I do believe in is that AI-driven tools can assist artists in creating their art and exploring new creative frontiers, offering insights drawn from large datasets and enabling the creation of unique, personalized art experiences. 

Especially in the sectors of Film, Gaming, and Fashion, generative AI (GenAI) can speed up the first raw drafting stage. In Fashion, you may be able to visualize a dress sooner and see how the fabric falls. In Gaming you may create a virtual world using AI, giving more space to work on the storyline. In Film, we may be able to create visual effects faster, speeding up the post-production timeline.

AI is a great tool for artists to quickly conceptualize and prototype, giving them the tools to test faster and unlock revenue sooner. Examples of startups in this realm are Quantic Brains, Lalaland.ai, and Atlas.

VIII. Digital Preservation and Archiving for Future Generations

Technology offers never-before-seen opportunities for the preservation of art and cultural heritage. Digital tools like high-resolution scanning, 3D modeling, and virtual archives can preserve artworks, artifacts, and performances in digital form, keeping them safe for future generations. This not only ensures that future generations can enjoy and learn from these cultural treasures but also helps them in research and education. While we have made great technological process in this specific field already, we must now find ways to integrate and implement these novel technologies in our current preservation strategies.

IX. Taking back our Ownership

Web3, with its decentralized and blockchain-driven framework, created a revolutionary shift in empowering artists by granting them greater control over their creations and enabling new revenue streams.

At the heart of Web3's impact is the ability for artists to leverage technologies like Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), which enable the creation of unique, verifiable digital assets. This not only ensures the authenticity and ownership of their work but also allows artists to bypass traditional intermediaries, directly connecting with their audience.

Additionally, Web3 introduces smart contracts, which can automate royalty payments, ensuring artists continuously earn from their work, even in secondary markets. This model dramatically transforms the revenue landscape for artists, offering them sustained and potentially increased income over time. By embedding these innovations into the artistic creation and distribution of art, Web3 reimagines the power dynamics in the art world, giving artists back their ownership and control over financial benefits.

In this space, I am most excited about companies that are able to offer new revenue streams to physical art in the digital world without the loss of ownership. A great startup here is MetaWalls, they help street artists maintain ownership over their art in the digital realm through the use of NFTs.

X. Fostering Global Collaboration and Cross-Cultural Exchange

In a world where physical borders are becoming less relevant, technology enables seamless global collaboration and cross-cultural exchange in the arts. Digital platforms and online collaboration tools allow artists from different corners of the world to work together, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and creating art that reflects diverse cultural perspectives.

The final field of innovation within the Arts and Culture, and truthfully the entire Creative Industries, is Collaboration. In design, we’ve seen a great number of collaboration tools and platforms pop up in recent years, especially when it comes to content creation and design (Canva, Figma, Miro). I see great potential for more sector-specific collaboration tools in the coming years. 

In architecture, there is for example, Rayon, a collaborative design tool for architects to draw floorplans and interior designers to, well, create floorplans. For the music industry, you have a whole group of music collaboration startups for music producers and musicians. Examples of promising MusicTech startups are ArtistConnect, Wavic, and SoundHub. And of course, in the world of creating shows and productions, you have Lanced.

Xl. Innovative Funding for ArtTech Projects

A critical area of focus within this ArtTech Manifesto is the funding of innovative projects. Historically, the arts and culture sector has seen sporadic digitalization efforts, often with funds directed toward individual non-profit projects in traditional institutions like theaters. However, this approach, while valuable, is not sufficiently sustainable nor does it attract the top-tier talent necessary for groundbreaking innovation. The sector urgently requires data scientists, software engineers, UI/UX designers, and other tech-savvy professionals to drive meaningful advancements at the intersection of technology and the arts.

To truly revolutionize this space, we must shift our funding strategies towards more commercially viable companies and startups that are actively developing ArtTech solutions. For true innovation, ArtTech must be for-profit. These entities are not merely adapting to technological trends; they are creating products and platforms that lead and define the creation of novel technologies that empower the ArtTech Renaissance. By doing so, they set new standards and activate untapped avenues for creative expression, audience engagement, and revenue.

Moreover, it's crucial that funding for these pioneering ArtTech startups does not solely come from venture capitalists and the tech industry. There is a pressing need for the creative industries themselves to invest in these ventures. This investment not only fosters a more integrated ecosystem but also ensures that the creative nuances and cultural sensitivities are deeply embedded within technological innovations. By supporting ArtTech startups both financially and creatively, the sector can ensure that its digital transformation is comprehensive, sustainable, and ahead of the curve, paving the way for a future where art and technology not only coexist but thrive together.

To encourage real sustainable innovation from within the Arts and Culture, I propose for cultural funds to re-allocate a small percentage of their fund to commercially viable initiatives. I propose the creation of a new funding structure that fuses the financial and technological innovative expertise of the tech sector with the insights and expertise of the Arts and Culture sector, combining an influx of funds from both business angels and institutional investors as well as cultural funds. 

These hybrid funds must locate and invest in ArtTech startups that have a tech-first approach when it comes to product development but an artist-first approach when it comes to creating a commercially viable business model. The fundamental thesis of an ArtTech startup must always oppose the exploitation of artists, otherwise, they can’t be labeled ArtTech.

A few notable funding initiatives worth mentioning here are EIT Culture & Creative, CreativeUK, and New Renaissance Ventures. However, I like to see more involvement from the Arts and Culture sector itself.

Xll. Nurturing the Next Generation of ArtTech Entrepreneurs

The cultivation of the next generation of cultural and creative entrepreneurs is vital to the creation of more ArtTech startups. These young artists and artpreneurs often come up with groundbreaking ideas that have the potential to innovate and transform the sector for the better. However, they frequently encounter a significant barrier: a lack of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge to effectively execute and bring their visionary ideas to life. I can speak from experience here!

We need to teach the next gen of artists more entrepreneurial skills, business knowledge, and commercial strategies.

First up are the art academies and educational institutions. The first spark of ideas for innovation often tends to happen in these settings. I propose a re-evaluation of these programs in terms of entrepreneurial readiness. These programs need to be redesigned to have more entrepreneurial stimulation. In this day and age, artists need to possess a great amount of entrepreneurial skills to build their careers. Especially since the majority ends up being a freelancer, which pretty much equals running a one-person business. By integrating entrepreneurship into their curricula, these institutions can equip aspiring artists and cultural innovators with the essential business skills and strategic thinking necessary to succeed.

Furthermore, the establishment of programs like incubators and accelerators specifically tailored for the arts and culture sector can provide a supportive ecosystem. Such initiatives offer mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities, empowering these creative minds to navigate the complexities of the business world and successfully launch their innovative concepts.

Leaders in the space are the CultTech Accelerator and the ArtUp Incubator,

Xlll. A Call to Action

The integration of technology in Arts and Culture is not just a fun concept; it is a strategic imperative for the sector's sustainability, growth, and relevance in the 21st century. This manifesto calls upon artists, cultural leaders, funders, technologists, and policymakers to join forces in embracing and advancing this integration. It is time for the arts to not only adapt to the digital age but to lead in demonstrating how technology can enhance creativity, inclusivity, sustainability, and cultural exchange.

I hope that this manifesto may spark debate and serve as a roadmap and inspiration for a future where technology and art coexist in a symbiotic and enriching relationship, crafting a world that is culturally rich and technologically advanced.

Let the ArtTech Renaissance begin.

My name is Wouter Vertogen and I am passionate about the future of the Arts and Culture. I am also the co-founder of Lanced. We are building an AI-production management assistant that supports artists, makers, and companies at all stages of creating a show, concert, musical, film, or dance performance.