Futures Past

Eleven contributors to this volume reflect upon the unprecedented ways in which digital media have been transforming art practice, study and education. The authors – researchers, teachers, custodians of art collections and picture libraries, and an artist – cover a wide range of issues, arguing for a more profound understanding of digital culture. With the benefit of hindsight it is now possible to look at futures past and assess the disparities between earlier visions of the future and reality. Frank accounts are given of projects which had promised great advances but failed to deliver, and others that have not only survived but continue to flourish. Another account demonstrates how an individual can make a difference to students’ learning by applying new technologies in a very pragmatic way. One of the most exciting advancements hinted at in this volume are the ways in which communities of interest are developing shared resources and cultivating a richer use of common vocabulary and standards to transmit an abundance of knowledge and experience. A look forward to the Semantic Web promises an even wider sharing of knowledge.