“For the first time in the history of art, a person’s initial interaction with an art object will most likely be online — in an e-mail, an online review or on Instagram.”
—JiaJia Fei, Guggenheim Museum

One of the leading figures at the intersection of art and new media will be on campus this week to discuss how technology is changing the way people encounter and perceive art.

JiaJia Fei, digital marketing manager at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, will discuss “Art in the Age of Instagram: Social Media at the Guggenheim Museum” at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, in Room 115 of Lawrence Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Fei’s talk will explore how the Internet and social media have changed the way society interprets art. In her time at the Guggenheim, Fei has observed the museum’s transition from a more traditional approach to viewing art to acceptance of digital media through initiatives using social media, e-mail, mobile technology and other forms of new media .

"It's a pleasure to be able to bring an expert to campus whose interests and expertise span so many different research fields,” said Kate Mondloch, an associate professor in the history of art and architecture department. Mondloch also directs the UO’s New Media and Culture Certificate program, which is sponsoring Fei’s visit.

“Fei's work in social media and museums speaks across disciplinary boundaries, much like the amazing projects of the graduate students enrolled in the NMCC,” Mondloch said. “Her particular blend of academic scholarship and hands-on media production emblematizes the spirit of our program."

Fei’s lecture will focus on how art can become a social object defined by online interaction, how digital technology should come into play in arts organizations in the future and the role of digital content distribution platforms. The presentation will use the Guggenheim Museum as a case study.

The event is being hosted by the  New Media and Culture Certificate program, a collaborative venture of the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Architecture and Allied Arts and the School of Journalism and Communication. For more information, e-mail nmcc@uoregon.edu.

—By Sarah MacKenzie, Office of Public Affairs Communications intern