Audart "Mindspring" Spring Times

Art Blends With Technology at Audart

In the heart of lower Manhattan, where a burgeoning new media industry is spreading its roots, Audart is integrating the realms of art and technology in an abandoned Swiss bank. The interdisciplinary salon has been embraced by Silicon Alley as an inviting cultural oasis, and a series of successful shows have captured the fascination of the art world. It’s located at 60 Broad St., directly across from the New York Technology Center - and a MindSpring hosted website at www.audartgallery.com.

Meet the directors of this anti-gallery. Named for Audrey, the gallery is the vision of a couple who walked away from successful careers to pursue a shared dream of influencing artists’ careers. It’s a romantic story that verifies the old adage "do what you love and success will follow. "

Equipped with only a Gateway 486 computer and a Pipeline dialup account (now a MindSpring account), they leased 8,000 square feet in what was an old Dresdner Bank, redecorated and began the promotional effort on "Urban Frontier" - their first showing of futuristic images that was "very Blade Runner."

The string of successful shows that have followed included a commemorative exhibit of artists in Andy Warhol’s inner circle of friends to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the pop artist’s death. The most recent show, The Art and Technology Circus, featured over 50 artists integrating computers and other technologies with their work. The cyber artists featured in the shows and on their web site are exploring everything from fragmented sci-fi themes as well as more traditional representational ones. At every turn in this unique space, there are constant reminders of how art and the web are transforming one another.

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