The Sublime in the Digital Landscape: Can Virtual Worlds Create True Art?
This is an AI generated art image.
Sublime art captures not only one’s visual attention but the human soul. Awe-inspiring pieces, such as An Eruption of Vesuvius by Jonathan Christian Dahl or The North Cape by Moonlight by Peder Balke, transcend the ordinary experience. Yet today, our world is enmeshed with virtual experiences, challenging traditional encounters with the sublime. Is it possible to experience the sublime in a world dominated by digital technology? And how is the role of art evolving in the context of the digital era?
An Eruption of Vesuvius by Jonathan Christian Dahl, image from: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438159
The Sublime in Traditional Art
The sublime is an expression of grandeur or beauty so vast that it inspires admiration or awe. There are many examples of the sublime, not only in art but in nature as well. For instance, standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon and absorbing the depth of the landscape offers a profound sense of scale. The immense chaos, beauty, fear, and the feeling of being small in the presence of something so vast are qualities that define a sublime experience.
According to Immanuel Kant, the sublime is a principle of disorder, characterized by purposelessness. To be confronted with something so intense that your mind cannot fully categorize or understand its limits causes a simultaneous experience of discomfort and awakening pleasure. Our brains are wired to process awe-inspiring moments in nature and art, but what happens when we introduce the conflict of the digital age?
Can Virtual Environments Elicit Awe?
Highly immersive digital worlds are becoming more of a reality with each passing day, thanks to advancements in photorealistic rendering, 3D modeling, immersive sound design, and interactive storytelling. Digital art, including AI-generated pieces, pushes the boundaries of traditional notions of art. Increasingly, people gravitate toward digital environments, seeking the low stakes associated with virtual relationships and the ability to augment their realities.
Digital worlds can create a sense of immersion that challenges traditional art experiences. The grandeur they offer differs from that of consuming a painting, for example. VR experiences provide the ability to put yourself in an alien world or a fantastical forest, while games like The Elder Scrolls V capture emotionally stirring environments.
The reliance on sound and music, as well as the stimulation of multiple senses beyond just visuals, sets immersive experiences in an entirely different realm. Active participation in these digital spaces can deepen emotional engagement. Take, for example, the Van Gogh painting experience The Night at the Café VR, which allows viewers to engage with pieces replicated in Van Gogh's style. However, for all their offerings, digital art spaces remain limited.
The Night at the Café VR, image from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBOL5yakREA
The Critique: Limitations of the Digital Sublime
One major critique of the digital art world is its intangibility. In contrast to physical art, the digital landscape isn’t "real" in a traditional sense; it relies on cloud connections to operate. Can something that is not physical or "real" carry the same emotional power and weight?
There is an inherent difference between digital simulations and experiences that can be authentically experienced in person, such as natural landscapes or classical art. Can something that is entirely digital ever be considered "authentic"? Further, does the commodification of the digital sublime—through NFTs or virtual galleries—diminish its emotional or philosophical impact?
The Future of the Sublime in Digital Art
The evolution of digital art promises even more immersive experiences that could be emotionally profound. For example, advancements in AI, haptic feedback, and neural interfaces may create deeply personal and powerful experiences. In any case, we should prepare to be both challenged and surprised by how human expectations of the sublime may evolve in the digital age.
Digital spaces may not replicate traditional forms of the sublime, but they offer new ways of engaging with awe and beauty. The digital sublime, though still in its infancy, holds great potential to redefine how we experience and consume art. What kind of hybrid experiences—those that are not entirely tied to classical notions of beauty yet are still powerful—might emerge next? Will virtual experiences become recognized as legitimate forms of artistic expression, or will they remain secondary to traditional art? Or perhaps they will even surpass traditional art forms?
