Net pioneers 1.0

The hype around Net-based art began in the early 1990s, before the Internet had become a commodity. It developed in skeptical parallel to the rise and decline of the new economy. But why does this chapter of art history appear to end so suddenly? This idea-packed reader about media art history takes a new, interdisciplinary look at the historical, social, and economic dynamics of our contemporary, networked society. Editors Daniels and Reisinger, both experts in archiving, restoring and contextualizing Net-based art, have chosen essays resulting, partly, from the Ars Electronica 2007 conference, and partly from more recent approaches. Contributions cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from art-scholarly methodological debate and source-critical analysis, to media-philosophical aspects and technical and artistic innovations.