The Guardian The tiny monochrome screen of a mobile phone seems to offer little that would interest a budding Picasso. And yet so many artists are now taking to the humble mobile you would be forgiven for thinking that the world had suddenly run out of paint.
Artists often function as new media's shock troops.
They adopt new technology early, and then find uses for it that the technologists never dreamt of. Members of the audience use their mobiles to text to a panel of speakers, questions or comments that are then displayed on a big screen. This, says Niki Gomez of Cybersalon, helps shyer members contribute to the debate. The anonymity of the system also helps to keep the speakers in check, especially if they've been plugging their products a little zealously or are simply boring the audience. During last year's Edinburgh Festival, the Unlimited Theatre Company used SMS to promote its play, Static, at the Pleasance Theatre.