Contemporary Art, 1960s–present

Contemporary Art and Technology

What is Internet art?

Artists continually mine new technologies for possible artistic media, from acrylic paints to plastics, electronics to the World Wide Web. Internet art (or, net art) is a newly emerging form of digital art and can be interactive, collaborative, and accessible. Internet art is unique amongst art forms for its ability to reach a global audience in the click of a button. In 1995, the website Adaweb was created as an online gallery hosting virtual art installations by established artists such as Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957—1996) and Jenny Holzer (1950–), who exhibited her Truisms on Adaweb. Another example of net art includes Russian artist Olia Lialina’s interactive piece, My Boyfriend Came Back from the War (1996), which tells a story by allowing site visitors to click on different hypertext links and GIFs (digital images in “graphics interchange format”). Internet art continues to expand, with many museums and galleries launching art websites, and new digital artists who explore the medium.



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