Here is the abstract of my article I read yesterday in Belgrade at the
NETFORUM 98 symposium (May 27-29) in Sava Center. When I translate the
entire article I'll send its URL.
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WEB.ART'S NATURE
There is no doubt that web.art (Internet art) is a new kind of art that
has some characteristics never seen before, in such a pure form, in the
history of arts.
Interactivity is one of those characteristics that makes the viewer
become the creator of the artwork, of its final form. The artwork gets
its shape thanks to the activity of the viewer, and since the work is
open, it can always get new shapes.
The hyperdimension is the second characteristics of the web.art, that
means that the work of web.art is infinite in space and time. It can be
developed in many directions, and without limitations.
The third characteristic is non-materiality. The web.art work doesn't
exist in the real space, only as a digital code on the disc. The work
can be seen only by means of screen, in form of thousands of sparkling
pixels. So web.art work is impermanent visualization of the world of
ideas, and therefore it stays non-material, intangible and spiritual.
By its characteristics the international Mail-Art movement from the 60s
and Networking from 80s can be seen in some aspects as the forerunners
of today's web.art. Derived from Fluxus movement and Concept Art,
Mail-Art was based on international communication between artists, who
were exchanging ideas, artworks and collaborative projects. The
difference was only in the means of communication which then was mail.
Mail-Artists and later Networkers who preferred personal meetings,
common performances and debates, were practicing an art of
communication, collaboration and interaction, spreading ideas all over
the world regardless of geographical, racial, national or ideological
barriers, same as web.artists are doing today.
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ANDREJ TISMA is Novi Sad (Yugoslavia) based artist, art critic and
curator. Since the early '70s mail-artist and networker. Founder of The
Institute for the Spreading of Love (1991) and Embargo Art campaign
(1992).
