Reading Blog #3

The term "net.art" was born out of a software glitch in 1995 when Slovenian artist Vuk Cosic received an anonymous email with the term in it. It quickly spread and was used to describe online art and communication that merged different mediums like graphics, text, and email. Net.artists communicated through email, creating an equitable community without being limited by bureaucracy or institutions. The Internet allowed for immediate communication across international borders and fostered a lively and gregarious atmosphere. Mailing lists like Rhizome, Syndicate, and Nettime were crucial in supporting the movement, and net.artists published manifestos and fired off polemics. The birth and development of "civil society" in Eastern Europe during the early and mid-'90s, characterized by media openness and pluralistic politics, had a significant impact on net.art. As Eastern European markets opened up to the West, media centers and technology became symbols of political and cultural reform and international collaboration. In 1994 and 1995, small groups of intellectuals, tech whizzes, subversives, and artists congregated at online nodes like The Thing, Echo, Nettime, and The Well. Mailing lists and the bulletin board system were more than structures for distribution and promotion: they were simultaneously content and community. Äda'web, Irational.org, and Jodi.org were among the more memorable sites that went up during this period. Net.artists had grand ambitions, exploiting the peculiar characteristics of the Internet like immediacy and immateriality. They created a new type of art, defined by links, emails, and exchanges, rather than an "optical" aesthetic.