Kunstmedium

Kunstmedium is a term used in the visual arts to describe the material or method by which an artwork is realized. It encompasses the physical substrate, such as oil paint on canvas or marble in sculpture, as well as the processes and technologies employed to produce the work.

A work may belong to a single medium or combine several in a multimedia or mixed-media approach. Traditional media include painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and photography, while contemporary practice extends to film, video, installation, performance, sound art, digital art, and internet-based works. The term medium also covers the tools and techniques used to execute the piece.

Medium choice is guided by the concept, audience, and context, as well as practical considerations such as durability, conservation, and display conditions. The medium shapes the viewer's experience through formal qualities like texture, color, luminosity, scale, and temporal aspects in time-based works.

In art history and practice, the concept of medium reflects how artists respond to available technologies and cultural conditions. Artists may work across media or shift their focus over time, and museums, galleries, and curators frequently frame works by medium for purposes of display, preservation, and interpretation.