1. Introduction

This study looks at the evolution of the role of the art audience. With the development of society, culture, and technology, the forms and modes of communication of art are constantly changing, and the identity of the audience is no longer fixed but shows mobility and diversity. This study is very meaningful in understanding the role of the audience in art communication and can provide new perspectives on interactivity and inclusiveness in art communication. This study focuses on three specific aspects of audience identity: change, diversity, and interactivity. Literature analysis is used to find and read relevant information and literature, and the advantage of this method is that it can systematically sort out the existing studies and analyze the changing trends of audience roles, which is conducive to the in-depth development of the study [1]. The ultimate goal of this study is to explore the audience's changing identities in different art environments and how they contribute to art dissemination and innovation. To achieve this goal, this study combines several case studies with an in-depth interpretation of the literature.

2. The Role of the Mobile Audience: From Classical to Modern Art

2.1. Audience in Classical Art: Passive Receivers

In classical art, the audience usually acted as passive recipients and did not participate in or alter the work itself [2]. Aristotle, in his Poetics, provided a theoretical framework for understanding the role of the audience in the classical period. He noted that the audience underwent a process of emotional “purification” through the viewing of drama, especially tragedy. This “purification” was considered to be a moral and emotional indoctrination, in which the audience, driven by the plot of the play, released their emotions and gained moral lessons.

This role of passive reception is not only reflected in theater but also in classical painting and sculpture. Artists utilize perspective, light, and shadow effects to guide the viewer's eyes and emotional response so that they experience the work in a specific perspective and emotional framework. For example, Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper draws the viewer's attention through perspective, composition, light, and shadow, allowing the viewer to experience the religious story depicted in the painting through his or her guided perspective. While this experience may seem singular and limited, it leaves room for interpretation on the part of the individual viewer. Different viewers may have different emotional responses and understandings of the same work based on their own backgrounds and life experiences. Thus, even in the setting of a passive audience experience, artworks can still stimulate diverse emotions and interpretations.

2.2. The Audience in Modern Art: From Passive to Active

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the advance of the Industrial Revolution, the acceleration of urbanization, and the rise of individualistic ideas, artists began to explore new forms and contents of art, challenging the norms and concepts of traditional art, and attempting to break away from the setting of the viewer in classical art, transforming the viewer from a passive recipient to an active participant.

Duchamp's The Spring is a typical work of this transformation. Duchamp placed an ordinary urinal in the exhibition and presented it as a work of art. By abandoning the requirements of skill and beauty in previous artworks, Duchamp shifted the focus of art appreciation to the concept itself. The “readymade object” changes the framework of art interpretation and forms a new art form, forcing the audience to re-examine the definition of art and their own role in the art viewing process.

In The Integration of Art Appreciation and Art Communication in the Digital Age, Zang Xue further points out that contemporary art enables the audience to engage with the work on a deeper level by creating a specific “atmosphere of place,” where the viewer is not only a spectator, but also a key part of the art experience through interaction with the work [3]. This idea suggests that modern art no longer relies solely on a one-way transmission, but rather enriches the multiple layers of meaning through the viewer's interpretation.

This shift was closely related to the social and cultural context of the time. The modernist movement and the questioning of traditional concepts led artists to move away from conveying fixed meanings and to encourage viewers to bring their own personal interpretations to the art experience.

For example, Picasso's Guernica. As a pair of anti-war artworks depicting the bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, the whole painting does not have a detailed picture and a clear narrative structure, but is filled with open symbols, such as crying women, wounded animals and broken bodies [4]. The viewer is confronted with these complex elements and symbols, and needs to combine them with their own emotions and understanding to give meaning to the picture, and find their own resonance in the picture. In addition, the large size and strong visual impact of the painting also strengthen the viewer's sense of participation, the viewer is passively involved in the emotional vortex created by the work, and at the same time, adds their own interpretation in the appreciation, and forms a dialogue with the work of art in a deeper level of thinking and participation.

This shift from passive reception to active interpretation has broadened the forms of artistic expression and changed the goals of artistic creation. The role of the audience becomes more flexible and diverse, and the relationship between the work of art and the audience becomes more fluid and interactive [5].

2.3. Audience Role Mobility and Socio-Cultural Contexts

The changing role of the audience is inextricably linked to social and cultural change. With the development of the industrial revolution and the acceleration of urbanization, social structures have become more complex and diverse, and the spread of individualistic ideas has changed people's understanding of the relationship between self and others. The audience was no longer a monolithic whole but consisted of individuals with different backgrounds, knowledge, and expectations. For example, after World War I, many works of art began to reflect social unrest and the plight of the individual, a context that made the audience's interpretations more diverse and individualized. Bohn emphasizes the “fluidity of time” in modern art, which means that art is not only a bridge between the past and the future but also an existence independent of history, interacting with the audience in real-time.

The diversity of audiences prompts artists to employ multiple modes of expression in their creations to appeal to and fulfill the expectations of different audiences. This interactive relationship further promotes the mobility of audience roles. Art no longer serves only the elite but is open to a wider range of social groups. This openness allows audience roles to show a richer diversity in different socio-cultural contexts. For example, artworks produced by feminist and Afro-descendant cultural awakening movements have enriched the role and meaning of artworks while diversifying audience roles and interpretations.

3. Reinventing Technology and Media: The Role of the Audience in Contemporary Art

3.1. Diversified Participation Due to Technological Advances

As we enter the 21st century, the rapid development of digital technology has had a profound impact on the way art is experienced [6]. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and other forms of digital media technology have not only provided new tools for artistic creation but more importantly, they have provided new ways for audiences to engage with works of art in a more immersive and interactive way [7]. For example, through virtual reality technology, viewers can enter a fully immersive environment and interact directly with the artwork. This interaction includes not only the senses of sight and sound but may also involve touch and movement, greatly enhancing the art experience [8].

Compared with traditional art forms, new media art makes the role of the audience more active and diverse. Instead of just standing in front of the work, the audience can “walk into” the work and become part of the art experience [9]. For example, some interactive installation artworks allow the audience to change the form of expression of the work through action or choice, and this interaction not only enriches the art experience but also provides the audience with a variety of paths of participation and personalized choices [10].

3.2. Reconfiguration of the Role of the Audience by the Communication Media

The development of new media has challenged the traditional mode of art communication. Through digital technology, new media art enhances the interactivity and participation of artworks, empowering the audience to participate and co-create works, blurring the boundaries between art creation and the audience. The audience no longer just passively receives information but gives new meaning and value to the works through interaction. For example, in some virtual reality art exhibitions, each choice made by the audience affects the presentation and meaning of the work, and this interaction changes the audience's role in the art experience.

On the Destination of Art, Roberts points out that the development of the art market has gradually become globalized, with the diversity of artworks being interpreted differently in different cultures, and that this change has also affected how audiences participate. While new technologies offer greater freedom of participation, this freedom also brings new challenges and limitations. The audience's behavior and choices remain within the framework predetermined by the creators and limited by the programming code. This invisible disciplining guides audience behavior and choices through technological means, which means that even though audience characters exhibit greater mobility and diversity, their experience remains within the control of the creator.

4. The Significance of Audience Role Mobility

4.1. Diversity and Cultural Intermingling

The mobility of audience roles has far-reaching significance in art. First of all, this mobility reflects the adaptability of artworks in the context of globalization and cultural pluralism. Differences in cultural backgrounds, knowledge structures, and personal experiences of the audience make their interpretations of the same artwork show diversity. For example, when the same installation is exhibited in different countries, the audience may have completely different reactions, which reflects how cultural background affects artistic interpretation.

Secondly, taking Chinese ink paintings as an example, spreading globally through digital platforms, attracts audiences from different cultural backgrounds, and this cultural cross-fertilization greatly enriches the audience's aesthetic perspectives. This diverse interpretation not only enriches the meaning and value of artworks, but also promotes communication and understanding between different cultures, injects new vitality into artworks, and expands the space and possibilities of artistic expression.

4.2. Art Market and Audience Expectations

The diversification of audiences has had a significant impact on the art market [11]. With the diversification of art viewing and consumption methods, the art market needs to constantly adapt to the changes and expectations of the audience [12]. Diversified audience needs and expectations drive innovation and experimentation in art creation. Artists need to constantly innovate to attract and fulfill the needs and expectations of different audiences [13]. As Eda and Okan point out in their study, artistic creation is not only driven by market demand but also needs to find a balance between the market and the independence of artistic expression. It can be seen that as the commercialization of the art market intensifies, artists often need to cater to market acceptance and audience expectations during the creative process, which may lead to a certain impact on the criticality and independence of artistic creation. Creators need to find a balance between innovation and market demand, breaking away from the norm while maintaining a connection with the audience. This complex dynamic relationship makes contemporary art creation full of challenges and opportunities.

5. Conclusion

This paper explores the transformation of the role of the audience in the process of artistic development and analyzes the reshaping of the role of the audience in contemporary art by technology and media. In classical art, the audience was mainly a passive recipient. Entering the period of modern art, the role of the audience has undergone significant changes. The audience transformed from passive observers to active interpreters. Art is no longer unilaterally defined by the creator, and its meaning is diversified through audience participation. In Contemporary art, digital technology further enhances audience interaction.

This paper examines the far-reaching impact of the shifting role of the audience on art creation, dissemination and market structures. Technological advances have significantly increased audience participation and driven innovation and change in the art market. Future research should further explore the impact of technology on audience autonomy and cross-cultural art communication, as well as explore new modes of audience interaction and market mechanisms.