The Text
Presence and Participation in Network Art by Andreas Broeckmann
Broeckmann’s catalogue essay clarifies prescient issues related to visual culture and technology. In particular, Broeckmann defines two different types of net art, that is art that utilizes the Internet for creation and dissemination. For Broeckmann, there is art on the Internet, works that use the Internet to distribute, and works in the Internet, works that use the “protocols and technical peculiarities of software and hardware” (1). Additionally, the issue of presentation of net art is paramount to Broeckmann’s essay. Here is analyzes problems inherent in curatorial practice and net art. In particular, Broeckmann sees the problems stemming from the participatory nature of net art, that is the art should be connected online, but then that also brings into question issues of artist compensation, viewer access and gallery presentation. He describes a number of bad examples and ends with not a clear solution, but rather with what the curator must be examining when installing net art. Here he writes… “….more emphasis needs too be placed on the interface, alongside the representation or critical practice that form the content of the network art projects…”(5).
Broeckmann, Andreas. “Presence and Participation in Network Art.” In: cat. Ars Electronica Festival Catalogue, 1998 (repr. in: T. Druckrey (ed.): Facing the Future. Cambridge/MA: MIT Press, 1999) <http://www.mikro.in-berlin.de/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Presence+and+Participation > Accessed November 13th, 2008.
The Technology
External Sites of Interest
Net_art. org: a net art portal