Digital transformation of the arts: A guide for arts managers

Throughout history, art has constantly reinvented itself. In today's world, with rapid technological advancements, art is undergoing a transformation and evolution like never before. This renewal of art and artistic understanding extends beyond mere changes in art pieces; it encompasses shifts in the function of art, its place in society, and the role of the artist. The intersection of technology and art has given rise to digital art, increasing interactions between artists and new media technologies, and fundamentally altering how art is created and exhibited. In addition to technological progress, the cultural context, political conditions, and economic factors also play a significant role in shaping artistic expression. These changes across all artistic disciplines have naturally influenced art management practices, leading to the development of diverse strategies and opening up new creative opportunities within the industry. From the inception of art to the presentation of artworks and their marketing, technology has become an integral part of the artistic process, significantly impacting the definition and practices of art. With this study, the aim is to guide all stakeholders in the field of art and to reveal the dynamics and evolving aspects of the relationship between art and technology within the scope of art management. To achieve this, bibliometric analysis was employed to examine articles related to the "art and technology" relationship available in the Web of Science Core Collection database. The collected data was analyzed and visualized using the VOSviewer software. On April 24, 2024, a search was conducted in the WOS database under the topic (title) tab using the keywords "digital art," "computer art," and "artificial intelligence and art." As a result, a total of 1,443 documents were retrieved. To access a wide range of document types and facilitate better comparison and analysis, only articles (article type) were included in the search, resulting in a total of 893 articles. Four documents were excluded from the dataset, leaving a final set of 889 articles. The analysis of the data obtained includes an examination of the publication types, language distribution, keyword analysis, influential authors, prominent journals, impactful articles, leading countries, productive institutions, common citations for referenced works, shared citations for cited sources, and collaborative citations for cited authors. Based on this assessment, recommendations are provided to researchers and art stakeholders regarding the current state, trends, and potential research gaps in the field.