Keywords: Sustainable Development, Co-Creation, ArtTech Community, Art and Technology.
As part of the international ArtTech Fusion 2024 (ATF24) series organized by the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), the keynote session titled “Co-creation to Build ArtTech Community to Deal with Sustainable Issue” gathered leading domestic and international speakers to share profound insights into the intersection of art and technology in addressing global challenges and fostering a collaborative community for a sustainable future.
The keynote session featured Associate Professor Dr. Trinh Thuy Anh, Vice President of UEH School of Technology and Design (CTD); Professor Martin Kaltenbrunner, researcher and artist from the University of Art and Design Linz (Austria); Associate Professor Fillipa Martins, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Saint Joseph (Macau); and Professor Andrea Giansanti from the Pantheon Institute of Design & Technology (Italy).
The speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration among designers, artists, engineers, and other stakeholders in building a strong ArtTech community. They also presented practical examples of how interdisciplinary teams can work together to create innovative solutions for complex issues.
The Co-Creation Model – Connecting Stakeholders
Associate Professor Dr. Trinh Thuy Anh discussed the critical role of design in creating sustainable products and services. Given the urgent nature of today’s social and environmental challenges, she emphasized the necessity of applying design not only to serve market needs but also to tackle global issues.
Through innovative ArtTech projects, Dr. Thuy Anh highlighted the role of interdisciplinary collaboration and active community participation. She introduced the “Four Ps” model: Private (private enterprises), Public (government), People (community), and Partners (partners), illustrating the strong connections among these elements in building sustainable solutions. This is not merely a collaboration between art and technology but a powerful creative model that drives sustainable development and enhances quality of life.
She also shared several case studies of co-creation projects in Vietnam aimed at building a sustainable ArtTech community, such as the LIT – Light Up exhibition by Sunlife Vietnam and the SONGLAB Digital Art Centre in Hue.
Dr. Thuy Anh demonstrated that ArtTech, the convergence of art and technology, is not merely about creative works but a powerful tool for solving social and environmental problems. By connecting designers, artists, engineers, scientists, and local communities, her projects have created unique artistic works while delivering practical societal value, raising awareness, and fostering behavior change.
Interactive Technology and Art in Raising Awareness of Climate Change
Professor Martin Kaltenbrunner from the University of Art and Design Linz (Austria) made a strong impression with his creative projects using interactive technology to create new and profound artistic experiences. One of his most notable projects, Dodeka OTTO, is a virtual reality (VR) application that allows participants to experience firsthand the impacts of climate change on the environment and humanity.
Dodeka OTTO is more than an art experience; it is a powerful tool that enables viewers to feel and confront the serious environmental changes we face. Through VR technology, participants can “step into” a virtual world where phenomena such as melting ice, heatwaves, floods, and other negative impacts of climate change become vivid and tangible. VR not only enhances interactivity but also creates an artistic space where viewers can directly experience, not just theoretically but through immersive encounters.
Professor Kaltenbrunner asserted that art, when combined with technology, can evoke strong emotional reactions, transcending conventional knowledge and reaching deeper into the emotions of viewers. Art can make abstract, distant issues like climate change more concrete and accessible, leading to changes in community awareness and behavior. Artistic works like Dodeka OTTO help us not only see but feel the urgency of global issues.
He also emphasized that technology not only provides new tools for artistic expression but also opens new opportunities for artists to engage in social and environmental movements. Technology empowers artists to explore limitless creative methods and expand art’s impact beyond traditional spaces, contributing positively to communities.
In the context of global challenges like climate change and environmental crises, innovations like Dodeka OTTO are clear evidence of the power of art combined with technology in raising public awareness while creating lasting, positive impacts toward a more sustainable future.
Building an ArtTech Community in Macau
Associate Professor Fillipa Martins from the University of Saint Joseph (Macau) presented impressive creative projects from Macau, particularly on building an ArtTech community to address sustainability challenges. She introduced an innovative model where artists, technologists, and the community collaborate to create innovative solutions for urgent environmental and social issues.
A hallmark of her projects is co-creation—a multidisciplinary collaboration not only between artists and technologists but also including the local community. This is a model in which all stakeholders participate in designing and implementing sustainable solutions. Professor Martins emphasized that in a world facing complex issues like climate change, resource depletion, and social inequality, the collaboration between art and technology is the key to developing effective and innovative initiatives.
A critical aspect of her ArtTech projects is combining modern technology with Macau’s unique cultural heritage. With its long history and blend of Eastern and Western cultures, Macau holds a rich cultural legacy. Professor Martins highlighted that while technology offers advanced technical solutions, cultural heritage provides spiritual values, historical narratives, and traditional methods that can support more sustainable solutions. Through this combination, ArtTech projects in Macau not only bring technological benefits but also help preserve and promote the city’s valuable cultural heritage.
She also introduced various creative projects in Macau’s cultural preservation, where new technologies aid in preserving and developing the city’s tangible and intangible heritage. These projects go beyond using technology to restore classical artworks; they connect historical cultural narratives with younger generations, enhancing awareness of local cultural values in the context of globalization.
Co-Creation and Developing a Sustainable ArtTech Community in Italy
Professor Andrea Giansanti from the Pantheon Institute of Design & Technology (Italy) is a pioneer in applying emerging technologies to art projects while building a sustainable ArtTech community. He stressed that technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are not only artistic tools but also mediums that enrich and expand creative capacities in traditional art, particularly in creating engaging and accessible experiences for the public.
He presented two standout projects demonstrating the potential of technology in enriching traditional art. The project Inside Painters: Van Gogh uses VR to recreate Van Gogh’s artistic world, allowing participants to “enter” famous paintings such as Starry Night and Wheatfield with Crows through immersive experiences, bringing audiences closer to great artworks while offering profound insights into the contexts and emotions conveyed by the artist.
Similarly, the AR Red Riding Hood project uses AR to create interactive versions of the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of merely reading or listening, participants can immerse themselves in the story, interact with characters, and actively engage in the storytelling process. These projects are not only creative combinations of technology and art but also important steps in integrating art into digital life, where technology enriches experiences and creates new learning opportunities for users.
Professor Giansanti emphasized that combining technology with art is not intended to replace traditional values but to enrich existing art forms. Technology provides new experiences and enhances art awareness by offering innovative educational methods and inspiring creativity.
Through his contributions, Professor Andrea Giansanti affirmed that digital innovation in art is vital for building a sustainable creative community. With technologies like VR, AR, and other interactive technologies, art evolves not only in form but also becomes a powerful tool to raise community awareness of sustainability issues. Thus, the ArtTech community in Italy contributes to building a more sustainable future where art, technology, and community merge to address social and environmental challenges while preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.
With the contributions of experts and creative projects at ATF 2024, it is evident that building a sustainable community requires tight collaboration across sectors, continuous creativity, and responsibility for the future. Art, through technology, is not only a medium of expression but also an inspiration and a tool for changing perceptions and promoting community action. From these innovations, it is hoped that more initiatives will emerge, contributing to a sustainable, equitable, and culturally rich world for future generations.
| ATF24 – A Platform Contributing to Shaping the Future of Creative Youth Towards Sustainability In alignment with the development of the ArtTech field, the annual international ArtTech Fusion (ATF) series is organized by the ArtTech Hub (ATH) in collaboration with UEH School of Technology and Design (CTD) and both domestic and international partners, with varying themes each year. In 2024, the third edition of the ArtTech Fusion series is held under the theme “New ArtTech for Future Generations,” aiming to ignite and promote the creative thinking and innovative actions of future generations, contributing to building a sustainable society. Throughout the 3-day ATF24 journey (October 22–24, 2024), over 30 academic and practical activities are organized, including 5 keynote speeches, 10 special sessions, 5 parallel research presentation sessions, 5 workshops, 1 academic book chapter publication, 9 exhibitions, 1 heritage connection trip, and 1 tangible performance. |
Authors: MSc. Tran Le Quynh Anh, Nguyen Hoang Khanh Doan – University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH)
This article is part of UEH’s “Research Contribution For All” series, disseminating research and applied knowledge with the message “Research for the Community.” We cordially invite readers to follow the next issue of UEH Research Insights.
News, images: Authors, UEH Communications and Partnership Development Department
