DevArt: your code belongs in an art gallery

FEB 05, 2014
Author PhotoBy Paul Kinlan, Developer Advocate and aspiring Creative Coder

I sometimes hear phrases like “Artists create, developers code”, but nothing could be further from the truth. We are all a creative bunch with a passion for exploring and creating amazing works that push the boundaries of what we believe is possible with modern computing technology. Sometimes we just need some inspiration and an outlet.

This summer, Google are teaming up with the Barbican in London to celebrate the creative use of technology with a DevArt interactive gallery, as part of the Digital Revolution exhibition. And we want you to be a part of it.



As part of this exhibition, we’re looking for the next up-and-coming developer artist. This is your opportunity to express your creativity in new ways, and to have your work featured in the Barbican and seen by millions of people around the world.

To get started all you need is an idea, a Github account and a browser to visit g.co/devart to show us what you would create. From there, we’ll pick one creator whose work will sit alongside some of the world’s finest interactive artists who are also creating installations for DevArt: Karsten Schmidt, Zach Lieberman, and the duo Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet.

You can use any blend of technologies such as OpenFrameworks or Processing, Arduino or Raspberry Pi for your project. The only requirement is that you use at least one Google technology from any of the four groups below:


All the installations are being actively developed as Open Source on Github, giving you a rare look into artists’ ways of working with modern technologies.

Head over to g.co/devart to kick off your project. If you are excited to be a part of this project but need some more inspiration, look over our collection of catalogued entries from our artists and others to see how they start to explore their creativity.


Paul Kinlan is a Developer Advocate in the UK on the Chrome team specialising on mobile. He lives in Liverpool and loves trying to progress the city's tech community from places like DoES Liverpool hack-space.

Posted by Scott Knaster, Editor