Reading 3: New Media Art: Introduction

Comparison: understanding of New Media Art

According to Mark, the term of “new media” is used to describe “digital publishing forms like CD-ROMs and the Web” (Mark 2). Specifically, when it comes to New Media Art in 2007, many artworks such as “interactive multimedia installations, virtual reality environments, and Web-based art-that were made using digital technology” (Mark 2). In comparison, 15 years on, the concept of New Media Art has expanded and changed as new technologies and creative approaches emerge. From my perspective, creating interaction by using new technologies is the key feature of New Media Art.

Changes: the conception of what New Media Art is or can be

Nowadays, the conception of what New Media Art is has changed because of the rapid advancement of new technologies. Since social media and apps on mobile devices have become dominant forms of media technology in our daily life. Thus, the 

Art Historical Antecedents, Themes, Tendencies

1. Jodi (1995) by Joan Heemskerk and Dirk Paesmans  http://wwwwwwwww.jodi.org/

Description: jodi.org is a web-based artwork launched at the start of the “dot com” boom. The website is typical of JODI’s artistic practice, characterized by chaotic and non-functional designs that expose the essential characteristics of the internet. This chaotic design highlights the potential dangers of the internet and the hidden messages that can be found in code. 

Artists: Joan Heemskerk and Dirk Paesmans were two pioneers of web-based art in the mid-90s. They met at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht and later moved to Silicon Valley to learn about digital media, where they became familiar with the internet. Since 1995, they have been creating art on the World Wide Web, but also work with software, performances, installations, and exhibitions.