The Art/Technology Interface: Innovation and Identity in Information-Age Ireland

Abstract

Ireland was subject to a considerable transformation towards the end of the 19th century and again at the end of the 20th century with the Celtic Tiger boom. The latter can be seen as a particularly fast-tracked phase of a longer transformation of Irish society from an agricultural/industrial society into an informational society. This paper traces current trends in this transformative process and proposes that the interface of art and technology will come to play an important role for two key tasks for the informational society: the fostering of innovation and the construction of identity.