Electronic Arts Intermix

What is Electronic Arts Intermix?

Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) is a non-profit organization based in New York City that serves as a resource for video and media art. Founded in 1971 by Howard Wise, an art dealer and supporter of video as an art form, EAI was at the forefront of the emergent video art movement in the United States. It now provides support for the creation, exhibition, distribution and preservation of video art and, more recently, digital art projects.

What is the mission of Electronic Arts Intermix?

Howard Wise had already organized several groundbreaking exhibitions in the 1960s featuring video art, when the idea for a non-profit dedicated to this nascent art form was realized as Electronic Arts Intermix in 1971. Wise's vision for video art involved the setting of a new paradigm that would provide support to artists working with video, a vision which has since expanded. EAI now stewards a collection of around 5,000 new and historical works by artists such as Nam June Paik, Carolee Schneemann, Tony Cokes, Ulysses Jenkins, Jean-Luc Godard, Andy Warhol, Ryan Trecartin and many others. Distribution and preservation remain the core of EAI's program, which has, however, extended further to encompass public programming, education, and publication initiatives.

What projects does Electronic Arts Intermix actively support?

Initially serving as an umbrella organization and/or sponsor for a range of innovative projects relating to the intersection of video and contemporary art during the 1970s, Electronic Arts Intermix began setting up its own programs as a vehicle for satisfying the needs of artists and audiences.

Advancements in video recording technology necessitated the provision of a creative workspace and access to equipment for artists in the form of EAI's Editing/Post Production Facility. One of the first of its kind to provide these sorts of nonprofit services, the facility has enabled the creation of many seminal video works, serving thousands of artists and organizations with low-cost access to analogue and digital technical facilities.

After editing and post production, another obstacle that artists generally encounter is disseminating their works to public and private art institutions, galleries, and festivals. Considering the novelty of video as an art at that time, this required the development of a suitable paradigm, one which was an alternative to the conventional gallery system. To that end, in 1973 EAI established the Artists’ Videotape Distribution Service, which has grown into one of the foremost resources in the world, and one of the oldest distributors of artists’ videos. In 1986, EAI began its Preservation Program as a means of facilitating the restoration and archiving of works in its collection.

What events has Electronic Arts Intermix organized?

Over the course of five decades, EAI has demonstrated its dedication to supporting the advancement of moving image art through its various curatorial programs, preservation projects, education initiatives, publications and lecture series. Such a multifaceted and diverse approach in promoting the moving image has facilitated greater awareness of its significance amongst the public, provided platforms where artists and professionals could discuss trends and opportunities, assisted in the organization of exhibitions at other venues, and overall, raised the prestige of the moving image as an art form.

Out of the multitude of lectures, exhibitions and other events which EAI has organized since its inception in 1971, a few recent ones can be cited as prime examples. Open Circuits Revisited, a three-day conference and lecture series, was held in October 2024 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original conference held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Professors from Stanford University and New York University were invited to discuss the advancements in video technology since the 1970s, the concomitant political changes, and the challenges which video art faces in the current political climate. EAI recently collaborated with Dia Chelsea in organizing an exhibition of works by Richard Serra in the preceding month. Finally, of those exhibitions hosted in the offices of EAI, an Evening with Trevor Shimizu was held in October 2025, which showcased his work and in which he laid bare the banality of television and digital media consumerism with acerbic wit.

Where can I find more information on Electronic Arts Intermix?

Visit the EAI site for updates about upcoming events, the inclusion of new artists to its distribution catalogue, and new publications on moving image art. EAI also posts regularly on its Instagram account.