During the Arts Festival, Tauranga will experience something seldom seen anywhere in New Zealand – an exhibition where all the art depends, in some way, on digital technologies.

Art of Technology 2017 promises to be a stunning experience of art that wouldn't exist if the technology used to create it, present it, or that it depicts didn't exist.

The exhibition opened on Tuesday night with high levels of anticipation and excitement. Held bi-annually in Tauranga, it is located this year in the Goddards Shopping Centre in Devonport Road.

The exhibition will feature a mix of international and local artists – some well-known and respected and others just starting to make their mark. Expect to see animation, projection, and video used in new ways.

Artists include Kereama Taepa, Scott Brown, Kristy Robinson, Jason Edgecombe, Martine Jeffereson, John Peter Timi Stenning, David Vigh, Joe Te Wharau, Nathan Moody, Klaas Breukel, Kyle Sattler, Melissa Cox, Suzanne Smith, Peter Cossey and Larisse Hall.

Kristy Robinson with her work ‘The Box'. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

The exhibition will include art from the growing field of sonic art, incredible 3D printed art, immersive virtual reality displays, as well as some traditional art with a unique twist on technology.

Art of Tech founder and lead organiser Murray Clode says this year will be their third exhibition, after successful events in 2013 and 2015.

'Each year it's got bigger and brighter with more exhibitors and visitors, and brand new technology you won't have seen or experienced before."

Art of Tech has attracted international interest from Europe and the USA. A host of exciting international exhibitors that will be displaying their art in New Zealand for the very first time.

One of the many international exhibitors is San Francisco based Nathan Moody. He recently won a Bronze for "best in animation" at the MindField Film Festival (LA) 2017.

Another is David Vigh, an award winning video director, founder and art director for creative production company Global Illumination.

They were part of the creative teams behind the S.U.N. Festival in Hungary in 2013 and 2014 and have been developing main stage vision for OZORA since 2015 and visuals for the famous Boom Festival in 2016.

Local artist Kereama Teapa will feature in the exhibition as well. He has exhibited internationally and nationally and was a Supreme Award winner of the Molly Morpeth 2D Art awards in 2008.

His work featured in the Four Plinths sculptures outside Te Papa in 2016 and currently features in the Tauranga Art Gallery. His work for this exhibition is a closely guarded secret, but his recent work of 3D printed artifacts and virtual reality installations may give us a hint.

'Don't come to this exhibition thinking you can be a passive observer, many of the art works require your input and energy to show their true beauty,” says Murray.

'This exhibition will show people how inspiring and thought provoking the crossover of technology and art can be. It's about opening your mind and experiencing something brand new."

'A lot of the artists that wouldn't work with technology, now are,” he says. 'And a lot of people who didn't think they are artists are discovering they've got tools that allow them to be artists.”

He acknowledges that despite using technology, there is still talent required.

'They can't get the computer to do it for them. They've got to make these tools work for them.”

AOT Co-organiser Scott Brown has a piece called ‘Lissajous'. It's based on the work of French scientist Jules-Antoine Lissajous.

'It's an audio-reactive piece,” says Scott. 'By moving your hands you're controlling raw wave form sounds. As you manipulate the sounds you create this visual interference which is called a lissajous pattern. It's getting people to interact with sound in a way that they're probably not familiar with.”

The patterns appear on an LED screen. Through the headphones supplied the raw wave forms can be heard, and they are shaped by moving hands above a sensor.

'You're actually interacting with sound and the visual output is something that happens at the end of it.”

'I come from an electronic music background and was interested in making visuals for live music shows, and started diving into more experimental music and how I can combine the visual element together with the sound. This is the kind of thing you can create.”

Scott Brown with his interactive exhibit ‘Lissajous' Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Scott exhibited at the last Art of Technology and has a few other exhibits on show this year.

'They're all involving interactive elements. It's something I definitely want to pursue. It's such a new form of art that it's a rare opportunity that you can show these kinds of things in Tauranga.”

Jason Edgecombe has set up an area for his ‘The Art of Gaming' exhibit. On display are a range of gaming devices dating from 1971 through to this current decade.

'There's a Pong Console from the ‘70s,” says Jason. Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games. It is a table tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. Pong quickly became a success and was the first commercially successful video game, which helped to establish the video game industry.

'Then we have a Sega Mega Drive 2, a Sony Playstation 1, a Nintendo 64, a Playstation 2, and an Xbox 360,” says Jason.

'I'm a gamer through and through, it's my passion. As one of the organisers I'll be here most of the time during the two-three weeks we're doing this. People can come down and tell me about their favourite game, and have a go at the ones we've got. And if they want to leave one to be part of the exhibition that will be cool too!”

Sarina Smith and Murray Clode, director of Art of Technology, with Sarina's work ‘Living Illuminated'.Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

When selecting exhibitors for the 2017 Art of Technology, the organisers considered a range of criteria.

'There were two or three phases that we went through,” says Murray. 'And one was just a blanket call to see who's out there. New people have come out of the woodwork. Then we also selected some. The international artists have work here because we saw them on the internet. We were cheeky and emailed them saying we're doing this, and would you like to be a part of it. All but one said yes. David Vigh from Hungary does massive music festivals. His work has never been shown in a small intimate theatre like we have, so it's quite exciting.”

One of the waiters at the launch of the AOT exhibition. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

At the launch, live music was provided by NZ folk rock singer and looping artist Melissa Cox.

The exhibition runs exclusively in Tauranga from October 18 to November 5 in the Goddards Centre, Devonport Road.