The first reading we were assigned is called, It’s Just the Internet! Appropriation in Postinternet Art, by Elisavet Christou and Mike Hazas.
It makes sense that art appropriation can be traced back to dadaism. I remember creating a dada project for one of Noah’s classes in the past. I enjoyed it, it was a sort of nuanced and chaotic collage.
It is interesting that the author describes net art as art that cannot be viewed any other way. “In order to examine these quickly-evolving changes in culture, net art introduced works that used the internet as their medium which in turn defined the subject matter and the nature of these works. This is art that cannot be experienced in any other way. Internet defines both the place and time of the work as well as the reason for its existence.” I find that this makes sense, however, there is now a drive to view internet art in physical spaces. This drive has often confused me.
The reading also reflects on the idea that the concept used to be internet culture, but that it now is just culture.
Jennifer Chan, the internet artist I learned about for my midterm, was also referenced in this reading as an artist who appropriates internet technology to create her own art and online performances.
This is the second reading, an article called Flatten the Cube: Post-Internet Art’s Lessons for our Current Crisis and What Comes After.
This article made me think a lot about how the outside world and shifts in culture impact the messages of internet art, of course the pandemic has impacted the creation and viewer processing of internet art. It also speaks to the fact that crisis amplifies the disparities and issues in our society.
I have been reflecting a lot on the drive to bring internet art to physical spaces, but I have not reflected much of the drive to bring physical spaces to internet art viewing spaces. I have not thought about this even though I have experienced it in countless internet exhibitions that even assign you an avatar to experience the space through. The article references and includes a picture of one of these spaces called “Mirrors.”
Art can serve as a distraction from societal problems but it can also serve as an unmasking of societal problems.