• 27 Oct 2023
• 2023

ArtTech and sustainable development

Art and Technology seem to be two parallel lines with nothing in common, however, the intersection of artistic inspiration and technological breakthroughs has contributed creatively to solving social problems related to sustainable development, bringing significant benefits to education, the environment and social equality.

Currently ‘hot’ social issues related to sustainable development

The modern world is facing significant challenges. According to the United Nations Report, approximately 9% of the world’s population – around 690 million people - are suffering from hunger in 2019. Besides, air pollution is causing 7 million deaths each year. A number of other challenges listed as injustice and climate change are having increasingly profound impacts. Faced with this situation, many people ask themselves: “How can we save ourselves?”.

With the above question, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a torch to illuminate the path to "save ourselves". Established in 2015, the SDGs include 17 global sustainable development goals, aiming to address the above issues. As of 2023, according to data from the United Nations, only 55% of the goals have made significant progress. Meanwhile, 30% of the goals remain stagnant and the remaining 15% of goals lack data (Source: SDG 2023 Report).

Specifically, human-related issues - listed as hunger, poverty, health and education - are facing many difficulties. Vietnam, one of 14 members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, term 2023-2025, has committed to “Leaving no one behind”. The Vietnamese Government and the United Nations have classified SDG goals into four major groups: People, Environment, Prosperity and Peace to have effective implementation strategies.

This year - 2023 - marks the halfway point of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed in 2015 and achieved by 2030. Independent scientists are appointed by the United Nations: “At recent meetings, we have affirmed that with the current momentum of progress, it will be difficult for us to achieve the goals in the 17 SDGs on schedule; Of course, we cannot just sit there and expect the situation to become brighter if we do not start promoting the implementation” (Source: Shirin et al., 2023).

At the current rate of progress, poverty in the world will be existing, and universalization of education will be difficult (compared to the goal of universalization for all countries and territories by 2030). According to predictions, by the end of this decade, our world will have 575 million people living in poverty, 600 million malnourished people and 84 million children and young people without a formal education. The average global temperature will increase by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the acceptable increase in accordance with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (2015). Last but not least, with current progress, it will take another 300 years for us to reach the goals of gender equality.

Global leaders are being urged to act now to remove barriers and accelerate progress. Facing this challenge, ArtTech Hub owned by the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) and the annual ArtTech Fusion event series were born with the mission of contributing to creatively solving problems related to social sustainability through the intersection of art and technology, aiming to solve the complex challenges of today and help build a sustainable future.

UEH students and ArtTech at Campus A (UEH)

ArtTech - An innovative sustainable development solution 

ArtTech is a rapidly growing field in the digital age. With the intersection of art and technology, ArtTech plays an important role in creatively solving social issues related to sustainability. Art has the ability to express subtle and complex aspects of life and the environment. Thereby, artists can convey interesting and powerful messages, raising awareness about sustainable issues listed as climate change, animal protection or sustainable use of resources. The intersection of art and technology can foster creativity and innovation, encouraging the development of new products, services and solutions that address sustainability challenges. For example, virtual reality or augmented reality applications can immerse users in simulated environments to deepen their understanding of environmental and social issues. In addition, creativity in art and technology can be combined to create events, exhibitions and socially interactive experiences, thence raising awareness and promoting community action in support of sustainable development. 

ArtTech and sustainable education

One of the areas where ArtTech has a positive impact is sustainable education. Artistic media, listed as images, videos, music, and interactive creations can promote exciting learning experiences. This can help students absorb information more effectively and motivate them to absorb sustainability-related topics. In addition, virtual reality (VR) and simulation technology can bring students into virtual environments, helping them gain a deeper understanding of environmental and social issues through experiencing the impacts of climate change on the environment or exploring different ecosystems. This can promote positive action and inspire students to engage in sustainable activities. 

ArtTech and environment and climate change

ArtTech has great potential to contribute to solving problems related to the environment and climate change by combining art and technology to create innovative and inspiring solutions. Artistic experiences, digital artworks, and interactive projects help awaken emotions and promote positive action related to environmental issues and climate change. Besides, ArtTech can create interactive experiences to help users gain a deeper understanding of concepts related to the environment and climate change. Through virtual reality applications or educational games, people can experience the effects of climate change and how it affects the environment. This helps increase awareness of environmental protection and encourages creativity in solving environmental pollution and climate change problems. 

ArtTech and social inequality

ArtTech has great potential to contribute to solving problems related to social inequality. By combining art and technology, ArtTech is able to create innovative solutions and unique approaches to deal with different aspects of inequality. ArtTech can create art works, digital works, and interactive experiences to inspire and raise awareness about issues of inequality, listed as gender, race, and class inequality and so on . In addition, interactive experiences and virtual reality applications help users gain a deeper understanding of aspects of inequality. This can help create empathy and sympathy and promote positive social action.

“Our future society does not rely entirely on the development of technology but must also be based on harmony, interference and unity between humans, machines and nature. This poses a requirement for future generations of young people to grasp and master technology, use technology as a driving force for development, use art to nurture spiritual values, and thereby work towards sustainable development”, Mr. Suh Jun Suk - Director of Ulsan Art Museum, Korea shared. 

In short, with its constantly growing potential, ArtTech has contributed to the development and positive change of society related to sustainable issues listed as the education, the environment, and social inequality. With unlimited creativity, ArtTech helps awaken inspiration for efforts to deal with environmental challenges and climate change, creating breakthrough solutions to build a more equal society and a more sustainable future.

*ArtTech Fusion 2023 (ATF) takes place from October 13 - 15, 2023, at Campuses A, B, V of UEH. ArtTech Fusion 2023 includes 16 exhibitions, 5 seminars, and 1 interactive performance. ArtTech Fusion aims to apply ArtTech as a tool to solve social and professional problems through education and research to contribute to improving the quality of life. At the same time, it is an environment encouraging creative innovation and inspiring art towards sustainable action.

News and photos: ArtTech Hub, Department of Marketing and Communication

References:

Shirin et al., (2023). What scientists need to do to accelerate progress on the SDGs. 

Báo cáo phát triển bền vững Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2023. .