CultTech is dedicated to expanding the reach of culture through technology for the betterment of society. The organization develops programs focused on creation, education, and innovation, building an ecosystem that accelerates the diffusion of culture for societal good. Mr. Marc Brandsma, the CEO of CultTech, comes from the startup world with a background in venture capital, consulting, and finance. Culture has always been a significant part of his life in all its facets.
We had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Marc Brandsma about the role of technology in culture, art, and the creative industries.
Let me start the conversation with my favourite section on CultTech website – CultTech.Media where everyone can find the most exciting stuff happening on the verge of culture and technology. Why do you think it is important to educate our community?
CultTech is a relatively new trend that sees technology now entering the cultural and creative industries for good. It is important to highlight the progress made but also the issues raised. We have all seen recently the debate about AI and intellectual property. We think that providing our community with relevant information can help them form an opinion about what’s going on.
Information nowadays is a resource that can generate profit. You chose not to monetize it by making it publicly available. What other open to public initiatives for the development and support of the cultural community does the CultTech Association have?
CultTech is a non-profit initiative financed by private donors. We are developing projects along three strategic pillars: creation, knowledge and innovation. First, we support creation by working with artists to produce while embedding new technologies. Knowledge is about educational programs for artists about technologies but also for technologists about culture. Both sides are needed! Lastly, innovation is about investment in startups on the cultural and creative industries market. This is important because we aim at financing part of our future activities with the proceeds of these investments. All these activities are synergetic and help us foster a vibrant growing community.
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Tell us more about CultTech Accelerator Demo Day and Legendarium Startup Studio. Who can participate, how it works, what are the mechanics of these events?
Both the Accelerator and the Studio belong to the Innovation pillar of our strategy. The Accelerator works with emerging tech startups in the cultural and creative industries. After a selection phase, they enter a 6 months program of mentoring and training aiming at strengthening their value proposition on the market and allowing them to raise financing. We are currently in the fifth batch of startups.
Legendarium is developing our own projects with a team of entrepreneurs and technologists. They test new business concepts based on the use of technology in the culture market.
How does CultTech work and support with young and emerging artists?
All artists are welcomed at CultTech. We are developing our projects more through the angle of the impact of technology. For example, during the next Salzburg Festival, we will present a music piece that incorporates elements generated by AI. How will the public react to that? How can the performing artists deal with this insertion of tech? Those are the questions we seek answers from.
Some sources says that CultTech has been established in 2021, others mention 2023 as a establishing year for CultTech Association. Tell us more about the institution and its vision.
CultTech is an association founded in Vienna in 2021. Our purpose is to expand the field of Culture, in the largest meaning, through Technology for the benefit of humanity. We are convinced that Culture is a key for our future, to overcome our current challenges and build a better environment for all. This is not an easy feat as Culture tends to be seen by the powers that be, as an elitist, unimportant issue. This is all wrong. Culture is now accessible at your fingertips, everywhere, anytime, although somehow filtered by the algorithms of Big Tech companies. But it’s there and all we need is to recognize it, immerge in it and enjoy the benefits.
Basically you are building a platform to accelerate the diffusion of Culture and technology. And this is not just a trend on modern cultural scene but the direction of the future developments. How do you see the art and cultural field in the future with digital media, mediums and AI?
Technology is already everywhere in the Cultural field, and it’s been for a long time. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Nam June Paik’s famous report to the Rockefeller Foundation in which he coined the term “Electronic Super Highways”. That was decades before his reference artwork of the same name. What might be new is that technology now has an impact on the most distinctive aspect of Culture which is Creativity. Machines are not yet able to create, lacking understanding of their environment. But if we refer to the 4 stages of Creativity as defined by Beghetto & Kaufman, it is easy to project ourselves in a future where technology will supplement or even replace humans for the lower levels of creative activities. That said, I don’t think we will see a computer creating an art masterpiece anytime soon.
Creative economy, the development and support of industries related to culture and art – I strongly believe in the success of such progressive ideas and am an active advocate for this diversification of the global economic system. I would like to know your opinion on the impact of art and cultural clusters in Austria or any other countries.
According to the EU, the cultural and creative sectors make up nearly 4.5% of the European economy, with nearly 1.4 million small and medium-sized businesses generating and distributing creative content all over Europe. The cultural and creative sectors have shown great resilience during the crisis – they actually continued to grow – while stimulating creativity and innovation spillovers in other sectors. About 8.5 million people are employed in creative sectors across Europe – and many more if we take into account their impact on other sectors such as tourism and technology.
In Austria, creative industries account for more than 10% of all Austrian enterprises (around 42,000) and for 3.8% of the gross value added, almost on par with tourism. They are one of the Austrian growth drivers, having generated a total revenue growth between 2008 and 2016 of 21% vs 8% for the overall economy, and an employment growth of 16% vs 7% for the overall economy. Austria has been among the first movers to recognise the importance of creative industries with regard to innovation policy and has incorporated the creative industries into the national strategy for research, technology and innovation back in 2011.
That said, the creative and cultural industries in Austria and Europe are not immune from disruption. We, at CultTech, think that policymakers should include technology and innovation as major drivers of the development of this economic sector. That’s what we try to contribute to at our small scale.
CultTech Summit on November 5 and 6 in Vienna. Tell us more about the event. What to expect and why to participate?
The CultTech Summit is designed for a wide range of attendees – from tech and arts professionals looking to expand their horizons, to those already deeply involved in the CultTech space like investors, startups, creatives, experts, culture fans, or anyone interested. Participants will have the opportunity to meet the key players in culture and technology, share their vision and enjoy a captivating cultural program. Over two days, the Summit will offer a mix of professional programs, artistic performances and educational workshops, ensuring that every attendee leaves with valuable insights, connections and memories.
Egor Sharay, Journalist, Cultural analyst, Art consultant
Interview conducted by Egor Sharay
Egor Sharay is a prominent figure in media, known for his dynamic role as an editor and cultural analyst. Through his articles and analyses, Egor Sharay provides valuable commentary that helps shape public understanding and appreciation of the modern culture.
