Despite the fact that electronic art has now existed for more than twenty years, contemporary art guides still fail to include it in any serious manner among more recongnized art forms. In view of this fact it seemed important to us to offer a survey of spaces and organizations devoted to creation, exhibition, presentation and training in this field, such centres often occupying a marginal position in relationship to traditional artistic creation. The latter results from a deliberate choice. In this introduction we would like to put an end to a number of misconceptions, even though the basic ideas we wish to stress may sometimes seem to be commonplaces or self-evident. Everyone agrees on the fact that a paintbrush may be used to repaint a kitchen as it may be used by an artist to paint.
Electronic art is a generic term.
Within this domain coexist a number of schools and artistic trends and various forms of creation. For the first time in its history, humanity has full control over itself and over the planet it inhabits. This power results from the scientific discoveries made possible by new calculating tools and measuring instruments. Electronic art expresses the upheavals affecting our most deeply-rooted ideas and beliefs by using technologies as tools assisting artistic activity, as media for this creation of as the very subject of creation. Our manner of understanding the world is becoming ever more conceptual and abstract.