Today, she is considered one of the pioneering researchers who contextualised digital art within art history, building bridges between classical aesthetics and technology.

“When I look back at my work today, I feel a sense of wonder at what I have accomplished,” she says, recalling her beginnings at the University of Vienna.

The first challenge was choosing her master’s thesis topic. At the University of Vienna, where she studied art history, the curriculum was mainly focused on classical periods.

“The literature stopped at works created before the 1970s. That is exactly where my interest began,” Dika recalls.

Her search for digital art led her to the works of Herbert W. Franke, a scientist, artist, and co-founder of the Ars Electronica Centre in Linz. Encountering his work brought back memories from her childhood.

“My father used to program lines, and together we experimented with this kind of art. When I saw Franke’s works, I remembered little Penesta watching the computer screen. That was the moment I realised that computer art exists, and this is what I want to study.”

But personal conviction was not enough. Finding a mentor willing to support this topic became a challenge in its own right.

“My mentor asked me: ‘Mrs. Dika, are you sure computer art exists?’ In every presentation, I had to prove that this form of art truly exists.”

Today, she understands the hesitation of that period.

“This field of study was something new, and there was a lack of scientific foundation to support it. At that time, the University of Vienna was not very open to new research directions.”

When she arrived in Austria, Penesta Dika had not planned to become a researcher of digital art. For eight years, she had played the flute in Kosovo, and Vienna, the city of classical music, seemed like the ideal destination.

“I came for music. But circumstances changed.”

A catalogue of university programs in Vienna opened new horizons for her.

“Art history awakened my curiosity. That was where a whole new range of academic possibilities opened for me.”

However, the reality of student life was completely different from what she had imagined.

“In Prishtina, I was used to playing the flute in spaces filled with natural light. In Vienna, I had to go two floors underground into a room without windows to practice for hours. That pushed me to leave the flute behind.”

If Vienna was conservative toward digital art, Linz represented the opposite.

“If I only consider Vienna, I would not say the opportunities for studying digital art were good. Meanwhile, Linz, just one hour away, is the world centre of electronic art.”

For this reason, she continued her doctoral studies in Linz. In 2006, she presented her first digital artwork at the Ars Electronica Centre.

Studying digital art required a completely different approach.

“Digital works are moving and non-linear. They have software and electrical circuits behind them, things we had never learned about during our studies.”

She independently studied software and the ways computer graphics evolved.

“I am among the first women in the world to approach these works in such a way. Until then, they had mainly been described by the artists themselves. I placed them within history and compared them with classical art.”

For her, technology does not replace art but becomes a new tool of expression.

“Digital technology can be seen as a brush spreading color on canvas.”

Her research on Herbert W. Franke later became a book. The book was completed in 2003, and in 2007, she was invited to publish it in Berlin.

“This made me very happy because my persistence in proving that computer art exists was finally rewarded,” she says.

Interest in her book resurfaced years later after the artist’s death.

This research later earned her the international “e-Culture Award 2023.”

“Awards are motivating. After receiving the award, I was invited to give an online lecture that was later translated into 15 languages. I felt privileged seeing myself among the well-known names in this field,” Dika says.

Recently, she founded the company “Excellent Academic Supervision,” focused on academic mentoring and interdisciplinary research.

“The way of writing in universities has already changed. We cannot forbid students from using AI, but we can show them how to use it for academic development.”

According to her, artificial intelligence can help organise literature, structure chapters, and manage references, but it cannot replace critical thinking.

“AI is still not capable of writing a proper ‘state of the art.’ Everything must be checked by us before publication.”

In her work, she integrates methods such as “digital humanities,” “citizen science,” and “open innovation in science,” bringing together technology, citizens, and scientific research.

“Interdisciplinary studies cannot be carried out with only one method. We need to open ourselves to new approaches.”

Since she is currently teaching at the University of Art in Linz and the University of Applied Sciences in St. Pölten, she has clear advice for her students: 

“The topic you choose is not just a thesis topic. It is something that follows you throughout your life. Choose a topic that you will still feel proud of even after 20 years.”

When reflecting on her years of study, Penesta Dika admits the journey was not easy.

“I started learning German at the age of 18 and later pursued master’s studies in philosophy, where language proficiency had to be above average. Today I ask myself: how did I manage?”

Nevertheless, she believes younger generations today have more opportunities thanks to digital tools and easier access to knowledge.

“Anyone with a big dream should never give up. Challenges are what make us grow. Without those challenges, I would not be the Penesta I am today.”

And the next challenge?

“Collaboration between engineers, artists, and curators, something much bigger that could be realised in the years ahead.”