Instead of forging a new art form, much multimedia functions as an extension of traditional media. Does this "spineless" technology have anything worthwhile to offer its host arts, such as literature, film and visual art? Indeed, does CD-ROM offer a superior experience to previous media, providing freedom of choice and depth of understanding, or does it reduce profound feelings to a facile display of information? This session scrutinises CD-ROM versions of books, films and exhibitions.

With promises of wider bandwidth, online media are championed as the next focus of creative development. What kinds of artistic opportunities are available online that are absent offline? Is artist the most appropriate label for a person who designs a web space in which others can participate? This session explores emerging art forms such as chat games, databases and web art.

The fine arts have distinguished themselves by sensitivity to the sublime, particularly in nature. Can multimedia contain an experience of the sublime, and how does it differ from that found in the established arts? Some argue that multimedia demands a new aesthetic vocabulary completely. The word "cool" is natural to the experience at the screen interface. This session concerns the usefulness of the "art" label for works of new media such as Myst.

Does multimedia deserve to be taken seriously as an art form? Multimedia has attracted unprecedented political support, yet official art forums remain oblivious to it. Despite calls for content, multimedia art remains confined in forums devoted to computer hardware. Is this due to lack of worthwhile multimedia art, or an inability to accept change? Is this new art a victim of "technological correctness"? This session focuses on the attitude of cultural gatekeepers to this newcomer.