Since the advent of computers, artists have constantly explored and pushed the boundaries of artistic creation through digital means. Although terms like ‘Jpeg’, ‘Gif’ and even ‘digital media’ are considered commonplace today, they were once state of the art.
Wolf Lieser, the founder of DAM projects in Berlin, has followed and contributed to the promotion and promotion of digital art for more than 20 years. While digital formats like NFTs are a relatively new invention today, DAM Projects has been involved with software art, Gif files and other digital formats for decades already.
DAM Projects, Berlin, founder Wolf Lieser.
In 1998, with a background as an art consultant and gallery owner, Lieser founded the Digital Art Museum (DAM), a pioneering, exclusively web-based platform developed with contributions from London Metropolitan University, which went online in 2000. Simultaneously, Lieser also operated the Colville Place Gallery, the first gallery focused on digital art. Fast forward to 2003, and DAM Gallery, now known as DAM Projects, was launched in Berlin (you can read more about the founding and evolution of DAM in an interview with Lieser here).
DAM Projects is notable not only as a pioneering platform for art and digital media, but also for its projects and collaborations, both with institutions and with the wider art community, that go far beyond of the gallery space itself. With over 30 years of involvement in the field, Lieser has a long history of supporting groundbreaking digitally-focused artists including Frieder Nake, Manfred Mohr and Vera Molnár, to name a few. Lieser’s unique expertise has also resulted in digital art (2009), the first publication in Germany offering insight and insight into the world of digital art.
Herbert W. Franke (right) speaking during “Frieder Nake: No Message Whatsoever” (2013). Courtesy of DAM Projects, Berlin.
Ultimately, DAM Projects and Lieser himself have maintained their commitment to cultivating the field of digital art as well as preserving and educating viewers about the history and importance of art and digital culture. These activities include the relaunch of the DAM Digital Art Award, first instituted in 2005, and the long-term collaboration with the Sony Center in Berlin to present a rotating roster of artists.
Installation view of “AESTHETICA” (2015). Courtesy of DAM Projects, Berlin.
Today, DAM Projects continues its mission to spotlight a dynamic palette of digital art and artists through its program of exhibitions. Through July 15, 2023, the gallery presents “Gretta Louw: A Software for Feeling,” an exhibition that sees Louw explore themes of technology, culture, nature, and their intersections.
Installation view of “Gretta Louw: software for feeling” (2023). Photo: Ea Bertrams. Courtesy of DAM Projects, Berlin.
As a hub for tech-enabled art and culture, DAM Projects has something to offer both avid digital art and culture enthusiasts and newcomers to the scene, from its in-person exhibits at its online platform housing many resourcesartists and writings about the world of digital art.
Learn more about DAM Projects, Berlin, here.
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.
