However, contemporary art has become an extremely saturated and intense field where competition reaches extreme levels. Thousands of applications for every open call, hundreds of projects competing for a single grant, dozens of candidates vying for one residency spot—this dynamic opens doors only for art that is truly contemporary, technologically advanced, and conceptually unique. Which mediums of contemporary art are most relevant today, and what awaits the art market in the near future—we explore in this article.

Paradoxically, all contemporary art has grown from well-established schools. For instance, performance art, which today astonishes with its revolutionary statements, actually evolved from the futuristic experiments of the early 20th century—from Marinetti’s manifestos to the Dadaist actions at Zurich’s Cabaret Voltaire. Or take the pop art of Warhol and Lichtenstein—it was this movement that laid the methodological groundwork for engaging with media, a key driver of art today. Even sci-art traces its roots to interdisciplinary experiments of the 1960s, when the American group "Experiments in Art and Technology" sought to merge engineering and artistic practices.

Contemporary artists have vast access to an accumulated knowledge base, which they can endlessly reinterpret and develop. The main impetus for stepping into the future has, of course, been technological advancement, which has unlocked new mediums. If just a few years ago artists used neural networks as an auxiliary tool, today generative art has become a full-fledged medium. Every month, festivals and conferences on art and neural networks are held worldwide, sparking debates about the nature of creativity and the potential for machine intelligence to surpass the human mind. Modern AI artists are exploring video and sound art, creating technological installations and interactive performances.

"Generative real-time art combined with neurointerfaces that read EEG signals from the brain opens up entirely new possibilities in art and a broad spectrum for research. I believe that as AI itself evolves, new mediums will emerge. It will increasingly intersect with all possible forms of human activity, and this synthesis will provide new opportunities for art. The time will come when even theatrical performances can be fully directed and performed by neural networks. And eventually, AI itself will invent new forms of art. But for now, I often encounter challenges in my work. For example, the quality of generated content needs refinement.

Or AI fails to understand concepts like dance. It heavily censors many things—for instance, I can hardly generate anything for my lingerie brand. I am fascinated by the phenomenon of transitioning into a post-anthropocentric era. In the context of art, humans become co-authors. If we talk about potential issues, I am certain that the loss of pride will pose a threat to many—after all, it is a way for humans to maintain balance in their relationship with themselves. I find it incredibly exciting to create and collaborate with AI during this transitional period, as vast layers of meaning shift. I would describe working with AI as a game—it's interesting to befriend it. It teaches me to think more broadly, to be more creative, and it trains me. To me, it’s like an alien with whom I seek ways to interact, experiment, and through whom I come to understand myself better."
— Asya Muravyova, AI artist.

Today, even sci-art cannot do without neural networks. Contemporary artists are working with biotechnology, exploring quantum physics, and utilizing neuroscience to create installations that respond to viewers' brain activity. For example, Finnish artist Jenna Sutela integrates artificial intelligence into her practice—her album "nimiia vibié" combines the interaction of neural networks, sounds of a hypothetical Martian language, and microscopic footage of extremophilic space bacteria. She also creates sound compositions from the molecular structures of neurotransmitters, transforming the chemical vibrations of oxytocin into music.

Against the backdrop of the digital boom, the phenomenon of NFTs and online sales has fundamentally transformed the art market by solving the fundamental problem of connecting buyers and sellers. Blockchain technology has endowed artworks with the status of virtual rarity, paradoxically restoring the aura that mechanical reproduction might have destroyed forever. Artists have gained the ability to monetize digital works, creating a new economy for art.

Opportunities are emerging for the creation of decentralized autonomous galleries. Smart contracts can automatically distribute sales revenue among artists, curators, and galleries, organize temporary exhibitions based on predefined parameters, and even "replicate" artworks depending on their popularity. The entire system of relationships between the artist, the artwork, and the viewer is currently undergoing a global renovation—even established physical art fairs are adapting. For example, the Russian fair Blazar has added a digital art section to its website, offering video art, video installations, and digital paintings for sale.

A true revolution is being driven not only by digital galleries but also by cutting-edge physical galleries. For example, the platform Acute Art uses augmented reality to create exhibitions that exist simultaneously in physical and digital spaces, freeing art from geographical and architectural constraints.

Art is freeing itself from material constraints and entering an era of limitless possibilities. The future will likely be shaped not so much by individual technological breakthroughs, but by the convergence of diverse approaches and mediums. Art will become even more interdisciplinary, interactive, and integrated into everyday life. It will evolve along the same paths it always has, but now with an unprecedented arsenal of tools for seeking answers.

Review: Vera Kantor

One of the newest mediums, phygital art, merges physical and digital elements. Artists create hybrid works that exist simultaneously in real and virtual spaces. They integrate augmented reality into sculptures, use sensors to create interactive paintings, and work with holograms and projection mapping.

In our time, the boundaries between disciplines are beginning to blur, and it is precisely through such interpenetrations that new realities emerge. For me, the beauty of mathematics is the same as the beauty of art—there is no distinction between them, as at the level of abstraction, they belong to the same category. At its core, the approach of artists remains unchanged, but in the era of post-digitalization, new technologies have emerged: AI, quantum computing, nanotechnology.

Contemporary artists must understand all these fields to adequately interpret the world we live in. For instance, recent data from telescopes has challenged numerous theories about the structure of the universe, leading to new hypotheses. These developments undoubtedly demand an artistic perspective. Artists process them through their own experiences and creativity, conveying pressing ideas, challenges, and questions to the public in vivid forms. This is why I see immense potential in sci-art—it is in collaborations between artists, biologists, scientists, and engineers that a sustainable future is born.
— Veronika Treumova, sci-art artist.