In the 21st century artists may look upon easels and paintbrushes as tools of a bygone age.
Instead they will take up computers and video recorders and give rein to their imaginations with the aid of all the technical wizardry which was previously available only to producers of blockbuster movies.
Ever since the invention of cinema, film has been thought of as a means of relating factual or fictitious events, like a book with moving pictures.
Now that individual artists have access to a limitless electronic palate, people can watch and listen to their masterpieces for hours in the same way as they would stand and admire a Matisse or a Picasso.
Confused? You won't be if you visit St Petersburg's "Third Reality" international forum of new technology in art.
Exponents of the surreal, absurd, and simply spooky will be beaming down from various corners of the globe to demonstrate their wares.
Apart from showing their work on the big screen, there will be discussions and speeches particularly directed at students of the genre.
Intriguing themes include "Anti-Ego-Extra-Body," presented by St Petersburg's own Alla Mitrofanova, "The Interface of Reality," by Andreas Brockman of the Netherlands, and "The New World, American Electronic Cinema," by Margot Starr Kernan from Washington.
The British Council in St Petersburg has sponsored the visit of film makers Mike Jones and John Mount, who will review new British electronic art and multimedia at the forum.
Video installations are rarely seen in St Petersburg except occasionally in Gallery-21 at the 10 Pushkinskaya Ulitsa alternative arts center.
"Electronic art is a new area which we are taking from the periphery to the center of the city," said Marina Baskakova, artistic director of the forum.
One of the local participants is Olga Dobrelutesa, who will attempt to create the impression that the viewer is in an aquarium by means of her computer-generated abstract montage of underwater plants.
Also included will be the work of Croatian artist Sanya Ivekovic entitled "Frozen Images."
A major part of the forum will be the Russian Video Program Competition with the categories of adverts, musical clips and free video art. On the last day the work of the prizewinners will be shown.
"Third Reality" has been supported by $5,000 grants from the Soros Cultural Initiative Foundation and the Soros Center for Modern Art.