The hands-on world of digital art - PHOTO

They are artists, architects, designers, musicians and game developers and their pioneering work includes interactive sculptures, wearable technology, immersive experiences and works built via crowd-sourcing.This expanding artistic frontier is celebrated in "Digital Revolution," a new exhibition at London's Barbican,A comprehensive survey of digital art from the 1970s to the present day, the exhibition traces the evolution of the digital art community and showcases the work of some of its most innovative practitioners."What we are doing is looking at digital practice across a range of art forms," said curator Conrad Bodman. "The exhibition focuses on artists who use code as their material."Digital artists come from all kinds of backgrounds, according to Bodman, and this is one of the show's key themes."Petting Zoo," (2012) by experimental architecture and design practice, Minimaforms, is typical of the interdisciplinary nature of digital art. It features animal-like creatures in the form of robotic arms that interact with the audience by tracking their movement."[It] is an interactive sculpture made using code by architects," Bodman said. "Lines are blurred between art forms."Interactivity is another key theme, said Bodman. "Audiences can use their whole body ... you get a level of immersion you can't get with traditional art forms like painting," he added.Filmmaker and interactive artist Chris Milk's large-scale installation "The Treachery of Sanctuary" examines birth, life and death by using shadow play on three screens to create a poignant narrative that viewers can interact with.The installation uses Microsoft Kinect for Windows motion sensors, originally designed for the Xbox 360 video games console, which allow participants to interact with the installation using gestures and commands.One screen features a huge pair of wings, which are superimposed onto the participant's shadow. A wave of the arms will furl and unfurl the wingspan, more rapid motion will cause the creature to lift up from the ground and fly."People love to play with the wings ... especially kids. It's cool to see these tiny people with huge wings," said Brian Chasalow, an artist and programmer, who coded half of the installation."Someone came in in a wheelchair ... and you could feel that [being able to fly] was special for them," he added.Fashion label Cutecircuit creates interactivity of a different kind with wearable tech: A skirt whose pattern can be changed via an app and which you can send tweets to and a touch telecommunication T-shirt, The Hug Shirt, that allows people send each other cuddles remotely."Everything in our lives are connected apart from fashion, which is stuck in the Middle Ages," said co-founder Francesca Rosella who previously worked for Italian couture label, Valentino. "[Our designs mean you can] communicate and express yourself in a more interesting way."One high-profile fan is singer Katy Perry, who is regularly photographed wearing Cutecircuit's interactive haute-couture dresses on the red carpet.The exhibition also features a number of new commissions including "Pyramidi," a collaboration by musician and technology advocate will.i.am and Japanese artist Yuri Suzuki.It features three robotic instruments -- piano, drums and guitar -- in the shape of pyramids in front of a huge projection of will.i.am in an ancient Egyptian headdress singing a song written for the installation. Each robot can be programmed to play music live.(CNN)Bakudaily.az