AMODA defines digital art as art that uses digital technology in any of three ways: as the product, as the process, or as the subject. These are further described below.

This description is not intended to exclude but to encompass as much as is reasonable. We seek to expand the public's definition of digital art (and our own) in order to appreciate the truly vast and far-reaching impact of digital technology on art, on the world, and on ourselves.

Art whose final form is digital in nature is digital art. These are works that are viewed on a computer, such as software or web sites. This also includes works that use nonstandard hardware, such as electronics and robotics. The hardware need not be functional: a sculpture made of integrated circuit boards could be considered digital art.

We feel that the expressive capabilities of this new medium have only been touched upon, and so we are interested in seeing how artists express themselves through it.

Art that was created using digital technology in the process of its creation would also be digital art. Obvious examples include computer-generated animation, synthesized music, and computer-designed sculpture. While these works might be presented in traditional media (e.g. film, audio tape and marble), their production was facilitated by the use of digital technology.

Less obvious examples include: a painting designed by visitors to a web page; a play which reenacts an e-mail exchange; or music that samples sounds from an arcade game. These are still works which could not exist without digital technology to aid their production.

We are interested in how digital technology is altering the production of art. This alteration can be subtle or profound, either by impacting traditional production or allowing novel approaches.

Finally, art that addresses or discusses digital technology is also digital art. A painting depicting a woman using an ATM machine, a bust of Alan Turing, and song about chat rooms could all be considered digital art. Digital technology need not be the focus of the piece, or even mentioned intentionally. We are interested in works that, through their subject, say something about digital technology and its impact on the world.