http://www.artmargins.com


Edited by Sven Spieker, Artmargins is magazine that looks at visual culture in Central and Eastern Europe. With a number of collaborators in various cities—including Sofia, Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw—the magazine contains interviews with artists such as Ilya Kabakov and Olia Lialina, in-depth articles, previews, and reviews of shows, books, and films. There are also presentations of works by the artists themselves via both texts and images. The site thus allows visitors to get an idea of what’s going on in the world of Eastern European contemporary arts and culture. The magazine is exclusively in English, contains a rich archive of arts information, and gives more space to texts than graphics, which are kept simple, to allow for easy consultation.

http://www.nettime.org


nettime is one of the world’s leading mailing lists and is closely followed by all those interested in the Web and, in particular, the effects of developments in new media in relation to visual culture. The origins of nettime date back to 1995, the year in which an initial meeting took place at the Venice Biennale for the “Club Berlin” event. Then in 1996, as part of the second “Next Five Minutes” festival, a first printed version was produced. The site’s main aim is to amass an archive of documents pertinent to the discussion list, including observations, discourses, articles, news about interesting events, happenings, and, above all, constructive debates. These resources serve as a useful tool for understanding the evolution of new media and the subsequent transformations that have taken place in numerous fields, including the world of art. nettime is a true international network: the site presents links to corresponding mailing-lists in French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, and to other lists as well, such as the world-famous Syndicate, 7-11, and the American list Rhizome, which is more specifically oriented towards contemporary art.

http://www.videobrasil.org.br


This is the site of the Associação Cultural Videobrasil, a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by the organizers of the annual Videobrasil International Electronic Art Festival in collaboration with a number of Brazilian video artists. The association’s aim is to support and promote the development of electronic art, providing a space where artists, curators, and researchers can exhibit their work and introduce the research they have carried. The site, in both English and Brazilian with predominantly warm-hued graphics, gathers together useful information about how to take part in the festival. Starting this year, the event will also include a section devoted to artworks on CD-ROM and designed for Internet, an archive, a section dedicated to news, and an area specifically dedicated to exhibitions curated by the association itself, including the recent Mostraafricanadeartecontemporanea. There is furthermore a section containing interesting links to artists, multimedia centers, festivals, and international arts councils.

http://www.m9ndfukc.com


Behind the m9ndfukc concept lies one of the most symbolic Internet artists operating within the international arena. Having never wished to disclose his true identity, the artist has adopted a series of bizarre pseudonyms including, most recently, Netochka Nezvanova, taken directly from a Dostoevskij novel, and so perhaps it would be more accurate to talk in terms of “artists” rather than “artist.” The web site is essentially based on an amusing, true-to-life deconstruction of a browser. First time users will be surprised by the myriad windows that pop open on the screen, by the incomprehensible phrases, and by the predominantly green graphics reminiscent of those typical of Dos interfaces. After a while, however, users will certainly be spellbound by the constant flow of visual and written information that scrolls across the screen, and will seek to grasp some sense of narrative continuity from the many fragments—a continuity which isn’t there to be found.

http://www.virtualgallery.fotomodo.com


Created for the most part using Flash, this non-profit site, in both Italian and English, was founded in November 2000 in collaboration with the Galleria Civica in Modena. Managed by Claudia Zanfi, it is entirely dedicated to photography. Virtualgallery is subdivided into different sections, each providing useful information about the cultural development and history of the photographic image. In the “News” section there is an up-to-date calendar listing the most important international photography appointments—often containing more in-depth info—plus interviews (some of which are on video), reports, and an area for photography workshops. In the “Spotlight” section, young Italian artists are invited to present ad hoc photography projects—those who have already taken part include Paola di Bello, Alessandra Spranzi, and Francesco Jodice—whilst in “Open Space” it’s possible to view works by young artists proposed by Art Academies, the Circuito Giovani Artisti, or other art institutions. The “Masters” section is a space dedicated to the great masters of photography on an international level. Here, alongside a cycle of historically important pieces by Luigi Ghirri, there is a comprehensive collection of work by Franco Vaccari. Despite the fact that so far attention has been paid only to Italian artists, the editorial quality of the site is extremely high. And although the application of Flash leads to spectacular effects, it can, at times, have a negative outcome in terms of the site’s speed and facility.