What is Quantum Art?

Emerging trends in computational approaches to portray reality.

Art by Li Zhang

Recently I decided to start a Quantum Art Meetup. This was catalyzed after reading a paper exploring implementing a quantum physics concept of entanglement into interface design published through the Association of Computing Machinery. I feel artists of our era have by and large failed to leverage new artistic tools the way Impressionist painters did. And rather than just being a critic, I’d like to create a space where artists, scientists, and engineers can use technologies to help the world understand reality in a new light.

What is Quantum Art? Potentially, a misnomer. AI leader Marvin Minsky and philosopher Krishnamurti both said that the moment we give something a subjective label the less we understand it. It is hard to describe the essence of a subject spanning arts, sciences, and engineering disciplines. To define it we’d need to provide continually evolving perspectives of how others define Quantum Art.

Before continuing, let’s define ‘quantum’. From my understanding, its the scientific study regarding the existence and behavior of constituents that comprise an atom. Checking that against an official definition from Oxford Languages:

The branch of mechanics that deals with the mathematical description of the motion and interaction of subatomic particles, incorporating the concepts of quantization of energy, wave-particle duality, the uncertainty principle, and the correspondence principle.

Take your pick, I’d go with Oxford on this one! Finally, let’s define ‘Art’ from the same source:

The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

How do others define Quantum Art?

This would be done through an expedient search of the following:

• Internet search
• Examples of art that may exist today

Upon initial writing, I decided a literature search nor review general applications within industries or specific such to common topics in encryption, FinTech…