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08/20/03Whereas there are more and more interesting net art works produced by people outside the netart community, artists that could be described as working within the community seem to be more and more inclined to recycle old net art works. An example of this is Abraham Lincoln's latest piece "how to be a net.artist" which is a clear copy of Blank/ Jeron/ Bookchin and Shulgin's "introduction to netart 1994-1999". But where the last work has depth through the use of subtle irony you can find in so much old style netdotart works (the rules were for example literally written in stone), Lincoln's effort fails everywhere to be really interesting not only because it's already been done better, but also because even the style and humor is just an easy copy of the Kopyright Liberation Front's "The Manual. How to have a Number One - The easy Way" from 1988.
:: Peter Luining ::
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08/18/03I recently was given an unusual interactive/ animation site to look at. In Fresh Sensation you are introduced to a strange new world and a little white-suited hero who seems to be on a quest. At first it's hard to get anything to happen, until you realize that all the buttons and rollover feedback produce chain reactions. By cooperation and synchronization you are able to move the hero from scene to scene in increasingly creative ways. I found this to be brilliant, of course, until I got to what appeared to be the final scene (the one with a house and anteater) and couldn't get any further. Trust me, I was addicted at this point, and tried for ages. Discouraged, I thought I would at least get some information on who created the project and what it was for. So, dutifully I went to Fresh Sensation's Home Page.
I couldn't believe that the home site was even harder to get around. Ambiguity is ok in a "quest type" of interactive puzzles, but for a company or product's website? I managed to get music to come on, but that's about it. The site, aside from looking nice, broke about every user-friendly rule of web design. I couldn't figure out what the site was for, who made it, and how to get around. Can you say "life is too short, I'm clicking on something else?"
Ok. I finally was able to finish the quest at Fresh Sensation.
I did really like this piece which gets the user to win through the use of logic, curiosity, and random combinations. The artist is Jakob Dvorsky (you can't get the credits until after you win.)
Tomas Dvorsk worked on it as well. They appear to be from the Czech Republic, and their copyright reads VSUP 2003.
:: Kristen Palana ::
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08/14/03Arte Digital Rosario 2003 recently released its website featuring an extensive roster of new media artists. The Argentinean media festival, which emphasizes film language as a form of departure, had its off-line exhibition/opening on August 9. The festival's guest of honor was non-other than Orlan, the French artist most famous for creating performance art out of reading philosophical texts while having plastic surgery performed on her body.
Arte Digital Rosario 2003 is an ambitious project organized by Gabriel Otero with the support of Centro de Expreciones Contemporaneas and noneart.com.
This particular exhibition seems to have a good balance of on-line and off-line features. Arte Digital Rosario 2003 brings together new media artists -- many which are well known by now -- under a nostalgic umbrella developed around photographs of a past that may not have been too glamorous, clearly emphasizing film language. In a way, this makes sense as the web is in an early stage similar to the time the photo-stills used throughout the website reference.
The extensive list of off-line artists also makes it obvious how the net can only go so far as an exhibiting space. This obviously ties to my recent realization that there is and always will be a need to gather in a place to experience art -- even new media works that may be available on-line. And from this point of view the fact that documentation for the offline material is not available on the website can be justified; that is, such omission makes people outside of Argentina realize that the exhibit is really happening in a specific place, and that we are simply lucky to learn about it through a well developed website. The only downside to the website is that it may take the user a long time to download the information. A fast connection is needed. I recommend waiting through the introductory animations; it is worth the time. Besides, all sections are accompanied by early Jazz sounds.
Please note that I am part of this exhibition. I decided to write about it due to its importance as an international show.
:: Eduardo Navas ::