At LUMA Arles, the groundbreaking exhibition “Sensing the Future: Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.)” has opened a vibrant dialogue on the intersection of art and technology. This exhibition is not just a retrospective; it acts as a lens through which we can examine the vital relationship between these two fields that has evolved over decades. Supported by the Getty Research Institute, it delves deep into the legacy of E.A.T., a movement ignited in 1966 by celebrated artists including Robert Rauschenberg and Robert Whitman along with engineers at Bell Telephone Laboratories such as Billy Klüver and Fred Waldhauer.
E.A.T. represented a radical shift, a stirring call for artists and engineers to collaborate. This synergy brought forth innovative practices that redefined creative expression and the role of technology in art. “Sensing the Future” runs until January 11, 2026, and highlights how this unique partnership led to extraordinary projects and performances that dismantled the traditional barriers between disciplines.
The exhibition brings together a wealth of archival documents, film footage, and case studies, showcasing the remarkable artistic endeavors from the late 1960s through the 1970s. This era was characterized by a fervent collaboration that sought to blend the artistic and the scientific. As Simon Castets, Director of Strategic Initiatives at LUMA, notes, the mid-60s to mid-70s were the most dynamic years of E.A.T. — a time when funding flowed freely and curiosity bridged the once-segregated realms of art and science.
However, the landscape shifted following the 1973 oil crisis, which dried up public funding and made technology more accessible, leading many E.A.T. participants to embark on independent paths. Despite these challenges, Klüver and his associate, Julie Martin, dedicated themselves to preserving E.A.T.’s extensive archive, a resource that remains vital for understanding the intertwined histories of art and technology. The exhibition not only recounts historical events but compels us to face urgent questions surrounding interdisciplinary exchanges and the nature of innovation.
The exhibition showcases transformative moments, such as the 9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering event in New York. This pivotal event featured collaborations between ten avant-garde artists—including John Cage and Lucinda Childs—and engineers, resulting in multimedia performances that utilized emerging technologies like infrared cameras and video projection. The ambition and creativity of this project demonstrate how E.A.T. was not merely a fleeting movement; it challenged the artistic norms of the time.
Among E.A.T.’s most ambitious initiatives was the Pepsi Pavilion at Expo ’70 in Osaka, Japan. This collaborative effort involved numerous artists and engineers and was designed as a total artwork (gesamtkunstwerk) that merged art and environment. The pavilion featured a geodesic dome with a mirror-finished surface and a sound-responsive light system, showcasing how technology could create immersive experiences. A defining moment came when Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya contributed her water-vapor cloud sculpture, introducing a revolutionary notion of ephemeral, site-specific art as it evoked sensory experiences that blurred the boundaries of perception.
The “Sensing the Future” exhibition also emphasizes E.A.T.’s commitment to socially engaged projects, encapsulated in a section dedicated to “Projects Outside Art.” This groundbreaking initiative expanded E.A.T.’s vision, focusing on research-based projects involving civic and educational venues across the globe. From exploring television’s potential in education in regions like India and El Salvador, to its engagements with civic agencies, E.A.T. highlighted the belief that technology could serve social aims. While some of these projects remained unrealized, their ethos of cross-disciplinary collaboration has had a lasting influence on how we view innovation today.
In our rapidly advancing technological landscape, the optimistic principles of E.A.T. seem both distant and urgently necessary. Simon Castets reflects on how contemporary innovation is frequently portrayed as a potential threat, emphasizing the need to reengage with the partnership spirit intrinsic to E.A.T. that championed technology as a positive force. Artists were envisioned not only as commentators of their society but as active shapers of its trajectory, and revisiting this vision invites a critical reassessment of artists’ roles today.
The exhibition embodies LUMA Arles’ long-term commitment to exploring artist-led use of technology. “Sensing the Future” arose as a key component of the region-wide initiative PST ART: Art & Science Collide, organized under the auspices of the Getty Research Institute. This collaboration seeks to extend the discourse around E.A.T.’s collaboration between artists and researchers, creating a contemporary context in which the need for innovative partnerships has never been more pressing.
In adapting the exhibition for its European debut at LUMA Arles, curators expanded upon the foundational research provided by the Getty team, including additional works and archival materials from influential figures like Marta Minujín and Andy Warhol. This commitment highlights the historical significance of E.A.T. while anchoring its relevance in today’s conversations about the creation and application of technology.
As we witness an increased blending of disciplines—ranging from environmental research to artificial intelligence—the ethos of experimentation rooted in E.A.T.’s missions evokes critical discourse around artistic practice today. “Sensing the Future” not only serves as a historical archive but also as a contemporary blueprint for future exploration at the intersection of art and technology, reminding us how fertile these cross-disciplinary collaborations can be when fostered through respect, curiosity, and a shared commitment to experiment.
LUMA Arles’ “Sensing the Future” thus stands as a vital reminder of the transformative power of collaboration between artists and technologists, encouraging us to envision what the future holds as we grapple with the complexities of innovation. It challenges us to find inspiration in the past while orienting our creative practices for the opportunities that lie ahead, ultimately questioning how we harness our collective creativity to shape the world around us.
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