Artist Inspiration Research 2: Revealing the Digital Footprint

I. Definition of Net Art

• A form of artistic practice that utilizes the internet as its medium and context
• Inherently digital, existing within the interconnected web spaces, often interactive, and accessible globally
• Designed to be experienced in the online realm, highlighting the fluid, participatory, and decentralized nature of digital culture
• Reflect how art adapts to the technological evolution, harnessing the internet’s ability to reach a wider audience and foster real-time interaction.

II. Introduction – Joana Moll

• She is a Barcelona/Berlin based artist and researcher.
• Her work critically examines the complex relationships between technology, the environment, and society
• Seek to expose the often-hidden material and environmental costs of the digital world, questioning the sustainability of our technological advancements.
• Her projects often employ creative coding, data visualization, and digital storytelling to bridge the gap between technical insights and public understanding.

III. Works

In 1971, the first commercial microprocessor, Intel 4004, was designed, marking a significant moment in technological development. However, as humanity continued to perfect and increase the power of artificial intelligence, the planet’s wildlife began to decline rapidly. A 2014 WWF study found that since 1970, 50% of the planet’s species have been wiped out. 

The Inanimate Species display aims to highlight the continuous replacement of natural order by technological advancement, highlighting the cannibalization of ecosystems and the challenges of representing climate change.

CO2GLE is a real-time, net-based installation that displays the amount of CO2 emitted on each second thanks to the global visits to Google.com. It quantifies the environmental impact of Google searches in terms of CO2 emissions, showcasing the hidden ecological footprint of everyday internet usage. 

Her creative coding approach and data-driven works challenge viewers to reconsider the true costs of their digital behaviors.

IV. Discussion

Connection to Reading and CCLab:

The article “Agents of Change: How the World Wide Web Has Affected the Way We Make Art” defines net art, which emphasizes how the internet can democratize art and change how it is consumed. These ideas are demonstrated in Joana Moll’s work, which uses the internet as a topic and a tool. Her data-driven artwork is consistent with the net art philosophy of exposing hidden structures and using interaction to draw viewers in.

In order to combine artistic expression with technological proficiency, we investigate creative coding in CCLab. A great illustration of how imaginative coding may go beyond aesthetics and convey meaningful, powerful ideas is seen in Moll’s work. Code can serve as an artistic medium for socio-political critique, as demonstrated by the incorporation of coding practices to visualize environmental data. This is consistent with CCLab’s emphasis on using technology to increase the potential of art.

Significance and Impact

Moll’s work is important because it brings attention to the real environmental effects of the digital world. Initiatives such as The CO2GLE Project stretch the limits of public conversation on digital responsibility by making abstract issues understandable. This is consistent with net art’s ability to provoke viewers to reevaluate their place in a digital ecosystem.

Moll’s art relies heavily on web features including data sharing, worldwide networking, and real-time user involvement. These components broaden the audience and increase the impact of her message, demonstrating the ability of net art to spark political and social dialogue.

Lessons and Learnings

We can learn the value of making invisible data visible and interesting from Joana Moll’s work. One example of how art may transcend aesthetics and serve as a platform for activism is the interactive delivery of critical messages over the internet. It also highlights the usefulness of imaginative coding as a means of delivering powerful stories.