In this episode Professor Chris Berg chats to art historian and web3 art expert Dr Jessica Priebe about the intersection of art and technology, particularly NFTs and blockchain.  

The discussion draws parallels from 18th century fine art and the evolution of the creative process to the AI technology of today.

Jessica says it’s an exciting time for Australian Artists to not only connect and collaborate with artists worldwide through digital technology but also create new avenues to monetise their art. 

Dr Jessica Priebe, is an art historian and lecturer at the National Art School (NAS) teaching blockchain, AI and metaverse curation using a web3 curriculum, an advisor in emerging technology at the Museum of Contemporary Art and founder of Arts3, an education and creative agency delivering web3 education and training to the arts and creative industry such as AI art and metaverse workshops.  

Select your avatar and launch yourself into Jessica's NAS metaverse teaching gallery and see a selection of visual examples and references from the episode here.

Takeaways 

• NFTs and blockchain have revolutionized digital provenance for artists and collectors, providing a solution for monetizing digital art. 
• The value of NFTs extends beyond digital collectibles, with artists using them as a marketing tool and a way to address the lack of financialisation around digital art. 
• AI is being embraced by artists as a tool for commercial uses, ideation, and creating new aesthetics based on previous styles. 
• Integrating technology into art education is crucial to prepare students for the future and provide them with opportunities for collaboration, community building, and exploring new avenues for art creation, distribution, and monetization. 
• Building digital literacy in teachers is essential to ensure the effective integration of technology into the classroom and to support students in navigating the digital art landscape. 
• Australia is at the precipice of building global artistic communities it is an exciting time for connection and collaboration. 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction 

01:40 The connection between 18th century French art material culture and web3 

02:40 Teaching NFTs and blockchain in art 

04:00 Addressing the gap of education of blockchain education in schools 

04:20 The divergent perspectives on NFTs for Artists 

05:00 Initial concerns about NFTs by Art Students 

06.20 Monetising Digital Art 

07:40 The value of NFTs and excessively monetised digital art 

06:46 Exploring different approaches to digital art 

09:40 The technical knowledge required for artists such as Smart Contracts 

11:20 The role of AI in the creative process as part of the artist toolbox 

12:40 How art students are using AI  

14:00 The ethical considerations of AI art 

15:40 The replication of artistic styles with AI 

17:10 Combining AI and art history 

18:00 Integrating technology into art education 

22:30 Building digital literacy in teachers 

23:40 Degree of digital knowledge in teachers 

25:35 Opportunities for Australian artists

29:10 Conclusion 

Episode recorded: 15 December 2023 

Resources: 

• About Dr Jessica Priebe and Arts3 
• Jessica's NAS Metaverse Teaching Gallery
• The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia 
• National Art School 
• Find out about NFTs via the D3 freemium short course
• Learn more about emerging tech through D3 short online courses  
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