Examining digital art in the context of art and technology relations

The transformative power of technology in all areas of life has deeply influenced artistic practice. In this context, digital art has emerged as a significant form of expression that reflects the aesthetic, conceptual, and social changes of our time. Digital systems have redefined the relationship between art and technology, enabling the development of process-based, multi-layered, and interactive forms of artistic production that go beyond traditional art concepts. This thesis examines the historical development of digital art by tracing the technological shifts from the Industrial Revolution to the early 20th-century experimental art movements and the first interactions with computer technologies. It highlights how current technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) have transformed artworks into dynamic, participatory structures and reshaped the relationship between artist and viewer. Using a qualitative research method, the study includes literature review and analysis of selected digital art projects. In Turkey, where digital art began to develop in the early 2000s, the field has gained momentum despite limited infrastructure and institutional support, thanks to individual and collective efforts. The findings show that digital art is not only a technical innovation, but also offers new possibilities for cultural production, social critique, and participatory artistic practices. Moreover, the study emphasizes the need for sustainable methods for preserving and archiving digital artworks due to their interactive and evolving nature.