Technology in Art & Construction

Progressive artistic circles are always on the look-out for groundbreaking technology which can give rise to innovative creations, transcend conventional methods of art appreciation and further art expertise and knowledge. 

Advances in the scientific study of the material and artistic composition of artworks have led art historians, curators, and conservation scientists around the world to embrace new forms of scientific technologies by which to examine, elucidate, and conserve art displays. Advanced illumination and x-ray imaging techniques are used to penetrate the surface layers of an artwork and unveil its topography, historical subtleties, and authenticity.  

The blending of visual arts with the digital world can be traced back to the 60’s. Among the first commercial artists to have experimented with computer-generated art, is the famed pop artist, Andy Warhol, who back in the 80’s used his personal Amiga computer to create digital renderings of his renowned works. However, it was not until 2014 that Warhol’s digital creations were discovered and gradually restored. His digital self-portrait, created in 1985, was sold at auction as recently as May 28th, 2021.  

With the advent of the internet in the 90’s, the digital art world flourished. Artwork became more visible and widely accessible, artists benefitted from exposure on a virtual global platform and technology was promoted as an art medium. The rapid development of digital technology in the form of virtual, augmented, mixed, and extended reality (VR, AR, MR, ER), has led to an unprecedented increase in the expression and diversity of digital art.  

In recent years, virtual reality has entered the consciousness of museums worldwide, as witnessed by the launching of virtual exhibits and tours in such renowned institutions as the British Museum, the Tate, and the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. London’s Victoria & Albert Museum has recently inaugurated its 2021 exhibition of Curious Alice, a picturesque, interactive, and immersive exploration of the surreal world of Alice in Wonderland. New York’s Museum of Modern Art has been subject to an experiment in augmented reality whereby its Jackson Pollock collection could be experienced through a transformative, interactive, 3-D app, dubbed the MoMAR Gallery app. 

The explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as 3D scanning and 3D printing caused further disruption in the evaluation, creation, exhibition, and consumption of art. The digital copying technique known as 3D scanning has revolutionized the work methods of architects, historians, photographers, filmmakers, and the like. 3D renderings of ancient architectural sites, museum objects, and other solid structures yield accurate, detailed and life-like images which can be digitally preserved as well as manipulated to produce a physical copy of the object or structure by means of 3D printing. Perhaps the most striking and recent example of 3D scanning and printing is the digital life-size reproduction of Michelangelo’s David, which is to be exhibited in the Italy Pavilion at Dubai’s 2021 Exposition, from October 1^st, 2021, to March 31^st, 2022. 

In parallel to the art world, the fields of architectural design, engineering, and construction have also been active in incorporating technology into its methods and procedures. SAJO has been at the forefront of leveraging these technologies to create an innovative and integrated digital platform, the DIGITAL BRIDGE (DB), by which to execute all phases of a project, from planning and pre-construction to construction and turn over.  

SAJO’s innovation was to create a digital twin of the physical stages of project execution and delivery. The DIGITAL BRIDGE, continuously evolving with new and emerging technologies, is an incontrovertible enhancer of SAJO’s performance and reputable service.