Final work: net.flag (Mark Napier, 2002)

 
Introduction of the work

• Artist: Mark Napier 

• Name: net.flag – a flag for the Internet 

• Release year: 2002

• Where: http://webart.guggenheim.org/netflag/ commissioned by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

A detailed description of the work

Work in detail
net.flag is a Java applet, which enables Internet user to create their own flag for the Internet, based on elements of international nation flags. These elements could be symbols (e.g. coat of arms) as well as graphical shapes like stripes and bars for example. For the creation, visitors can navigate through a menu, which is divided in “country”, “shape”, “meaning” and “color”, where they can chose the preferred elements and combine them to a new flag. The website’s welcome page always shows the current created flag. It’s also possible to see how the current flag has been developed and how former flags have been designed. So, all the created flags were archived and statistically analyzed. This statistic shows that since 2002 when the artwork was published for the first time, there were around 200’000 elements added and over 23'000 flags created. The US flag and its elements were used the most. The most frequent used meanings are throughout positive words like e.g. “unity”, “valour” and “peace”. Moreover, the website has a detailed help page, which shows how to use net.flag properly.

What is interesting / unusual / thought-provoking / aesthetically / pleasing / puzzling about this artwork
The artwork confronts the latest development of today’s civilization with traditional values, which were originated in ancient times. On one hand, there is the Internet with its boundless and global spirit. On the other hand, there are the single national identities with its strictly defined and enclosed mindset, based on political, religious and ethnical background, which is expressed in its flags. To see the Internet as a territory, which needs to have a clearly bounded identity through the visual language of national flags’ ideological elements, the Internet stand to lose its global limitless space and its cultural independence.

"In the new millenium we see nations trying to lay claim to a new kind of territory, the Internet. This virtual territory is no longer a geographic location, a new land with resources to be claimed. It is a space created by man-made infrastructure that carries the potential of information, group identity, economic and political advantage. Nations and terrorists alike use the Internet to carry out their agendas. Those who control the structures, both hard and soft, that make this new space, control the nature of the space itself, providing or limiting access to the resources of the network (Napier, 2002)."

It is maybe no coincident that the artwork was published first on year after September 11th when the world was still under shock and rethought the order of the power distribution in the world. Moreover, the increased controlling mechanism in the free (democratic) world, especially in the USA, concerned also the Internet and was provoking the question about who has the power over the Internet and how far the globalization should go. As a historical background it has to be in mind that the burst of the dotcom bubble was only two years ago. Nevertheless, for Mark Napier it was sure that the globalization trend will hold on and people will more and more detach from their national fetter to a universal culture.

"net.flag creates a parody of what flags try to be. Flags try to fly over one territory and to unify people, when in fact the tendency is for people to diverge and to tear down, change, or negate flags (Ippolito, 2003)."

But that people are still characterized from their ideological education shows some created flags, which are obvious political motivated and point out for example religious tension in the world. On the other hand, some created flags just show the visual variety national flags offer, which only could develop with the diversity of the human heritage, by the way. This visual language enables a limitless and unique aesthetical perception.

Selection of user-contributed flags

   


An evaluation of the work in terms of the chosen issue focused on Network Digital Art 
Issue: National identity

One example in detail  
First of all, identity has always played an important role in Networked Digital Art.

“Many New Media Artists have used the Internet as a tool to explore the construction and perception of identity" (Tribe, 2009).

In net.flag the controversy about identity and especially the national identity can be seen as the main issue of this artwork. To use the Internet, which is the accelerator for the globalized society we live in today, as a medium for this artwork about national identities points out the conflict between the national heritage and the belonging to the global village. Although the globalization opens boundaries and the Internet connects people from different nationalities and cultural background it must be determined that in the same time nationalism movements increase worldwide and with that the fear of losing the own national identity. So, flags are having again its important role, because there isn't any more emotional and more powerful visual expression for a national identity than a nation’s flag.

"The visual manifestations of national identity are familiar to all – flags, for example are probably the most potent visual expression of national identity (Dinnie, 2008)."

But the identities, which were created in net.flag are only temporary and can be changed overnight. This illustrates the fast-moving nature of our today's society and indicates a rethinking to traditional values. It also shows that it’s not easy to find a static visual identity for the Internet with its constant movement in a dynamic environment. And this again stands in contrast to a national identity, which is based on firmly established ideologies that can’t be changed overnight.

Features that the artwork shares with earlier art movements such as Dada  
Like already mentioned the artwork tries to parody the origin meaning of something, here e.g. the flags and the meaning of its symbols. So, Dada tried to provoke established thinking. net.flag can also have a political message, it depends on the audience's contribution. Independent from the created flag’s meaning, the work always looks like a collage – a medium, which were used widespread from Dada-artists.

Are formal instructions, the concept rather than the art object, audience participation and chance important elements in this work?    
net.flag is a typical Digital Art work. It fulfill all the criteria. First of all, the artwork couldn’t exist without the participation from the audience. Actually, the audience is the artist for this artwork, who creates the art with the designing of a flag. You never know who contributes on the artwork, so it’s also quite a random event, which is part of the concept. The concept by itself plays an important role, too, which is also indicated with artwork description on the website. With the help navigation, which shows the visitors how to use the artwork, the formal instruction is also given

What is remarkable or noteworthy about this artwork?  
Over ten years after the release of the artwork, the issue is still very relevant. To find an unique identity in a globalized and standardized world, with an universal character as well as without losing its diversity is a big challenge and will be go on. The artwork points out this tradeoff in a playful way while combining one of the oldest communication tools (flags) with the latest (Internet). In the end, the artwork also gives a thought-provoking impulse about who has the power about the world's most powerful territory - the Internet.

From an art theoretical perspective, it has to be mention, that net.flag was a pioneer in collecting and preserving Internet art with its elaborated online archiving system.


References  
Dinnie, K. (2008). National Branding. Concepts, Issues, Practice. Oxford: Elsevier. 113-116.

Ippolito, J. (2003). Mark Napier, net.flag. In: Depocas, A., Ippolito, J. and Jones, C. The Variable Media Approach. Permanence through Change. New York: Guggenheim Museum Publications. 108-114.

Naper, M. (2002). About net.flag. Available: http://webart.guggenheim.org/netflag/. Last accessed 22nd Nov 2013.

Tribe, M. (2009). Art in the Age of Digital Distribution. In: Jana, R. and Tribe, M. New Media Art. Koeln: Taschen. 6-25. 

Art in the age of digital distribution

Mark Tribe describes in his essay “Art in the age of digital distribution” the evolution of New Media art. Related to this essay there are some questions to answer.

Dada & New Media art both described as "reactions". What did they react to?
Dada was a reaction of “industrialization of warefare and mechanical reporodution of texts and images”, whereas New Media art reacted on the “information technology revolution and the digitalization of cultural forms”.

What are some similarities of New Media art to Dada, Pop, Video art?

• Dada: Use of the "same strategies (photomontage, collage, the Readymade, political action, performance), jar the complacent audience, fragmented juxtaposition of borrowed images and texts in works".

• Pop art: “Refer to engaged with commercial culture”. Pop art brought "pop culture into art", whereas New Media art brought "new media formats like video games into art".  

• Video art: Like in New Media art, at the begining only a few pioneers were doing this kind of art, till “the availability of relatively inexpensive equipment”. Like "portable video cameras" in Video art, the web browser is seen as “the catalyst” for New media art, described as “accessible artistic tools that enabled them to explore the changing relationship between technology and culture”. 

When was Net art first included in a major exhibition?

It was from 1994 till 1997 in the documenta X exhibition in Kassel, Germany.

Is New Media art focussed only in one country? Why or Why not?
No, New Media art was and is still a global phenomenon, cause of its strong "connection to the internet". New Media art began more or less in the same time when the internet started to spread out in our everyday life. And with the internet the "globalization of culture and economic" began its triumphal procession.

Why were many artists drawn to new media art from other disciplines? 
Because many artists were exited about the new possibilities they have with new technologies. They saw big potential in new media to find new ways for their artistically expression.


References
Tribe, M. (2009). Art in the Age of Digital Distribution. In: Jana, R. and Tribe, M. New Media Art. Koeln: Taschen. 6-25. 

Shredder 1.0 (1998, Mark Napier)

Shredder 1.0 "Napier: Grid6f"

Shredder 1.0 "Napier: Portal"

Shredder 1.0 "Napier: Gallery1"

 
This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on formal instructions
There is a short instruction how to use Shredder on the welcome page. Furthermore, you find information about the aim of Shredder and technical details how Shredder generates its pictures and how the input website will be decoded.

This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on the concept rather than the art object
The concept of Shredder is revealed on the welcome page. The aesthetical aspects of the generated picture from the input website are secondary. In the foreground is the treatment of a website like a paper that gets through a shredder and the thereby becoming transformation of a well structured website into disorganised chaos, a so-called “parallel web”. “Content become abstraction. Text becomes graphics. Information becomes art” (Mark Napier, About Shredder).

This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on the event and audience participation
The generation of the "parallel web" only happens with the participation from the audience. The audience have to give in an URL an press the generation-button. Without this event there is no artwork.

This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on interest in random events and/or chance 
It looks like that the input website will be coincidently decoded. Although there is a standard procedure behind the generation of the artwork, the output picture looks different every time, even if you try it several times with the same input website.

This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on borrowing or appropriation 
The artwork borrows third-party websites, which are part of the whole art orchestration. It even seems that the used websites are appropriated from the artwork, because they are getting destroyed through shredder-mechanism and the website owner are helpless to react.


More information

• Shreeder 1.0
• Mark Napier

 

Just playing – the ethics of digital games

Scene from a so-called ego-shooter game

The CBC documentary "Screening of Gamer Revolution" from the year 2007 points out how video games influenced our everyday life in a positive and negative way.

According the film, what are some pros and cons of playing video games for individuals and societies? 

The increase popularity of playing videogames has many positive aspects to a society and individuals. First of all, video games have created a complete new industry, which generates numerous of new job possibilities. In some countries like South Korea the development of the video gaming industry goes to such lengths that even the players will be celebrated like pop stars and sex symbols, respectively. The single pros for individuals, who are playing video games are the learning aspect (e.g. strategic skills, rewarding system), reducing TV consume, stimulation of fantasy and creativity. On the other hand, gaming can cause social isolation and loss of reality.

According the film, is there any evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions in the real world?

Some games are designed close to reality, they even want to simulate the reality. The film shows the example of video games, which are designed for the US army or some games, with which one can re-enact tragically events like for example the terror assassination. Such games can stoke aggression and brutality even conflicts, when they were played from people, who can't distinguish between reality and the simulated video game world. Especially to people with a high frustration potential, such games can give a wrong motivation to them.

Should governments have the right to ban a certain game or place age restrictions on it?

In my opinion, a ban is often not the right way the change the behaviour of people. In fact, prohibition make something even more popular. But I think age restrictions are the better method, but it is only useful, if people like sales staff and parents strictly act after the restriction and also control its adherence.

Digital games – but are they art?

It is the human’s nature to define and categorise things, which often ends up in some emotional discussions with different opinions. So, it is with the question if videogames are art or not. There are two meaning positions. For advocacies (in particular people from the videogames industry itself) it is no question that videogames are art. On the other hand, there is also a huge opposition, especially some art theoreticians. For answering the question it is important to know what are the key features of kinds of things we call “art”.

According to Ernest W. Adams' essay “Will Computer Games Ever Be A Legitimate Art Form?” (2007) there are several functions that must be given before things can be defined as art. First of all, there are the following main types of art:

• Literacy art (consists narrative elements, e.g. writing and drama / film and TV)
• Fine arts (sculpture and painting / music and dance)
• Decorative arts (wallpaper, fabrics and furnishings)
• Architecture
• Industrial Design 

Especially the last two types show that it is not always easy to define something as art and that there often are no clear boundaries.

Anyway, nowadays the key points for things that are defined as art is that it must have expression and content, respectively. Art must have a purpose, containing ideas and making statements. Furthermore, art must have aesthetic, so that it appeals to its audience in some way. And of course, good art lasts for decades. On the other hand, art is not formulaic which would cause that innovation stops. Moreover, art doesn't involve utility and saleability. “It is not about what the customer wants to buy. It is what you have to say” (Adams, 2007, p. 260).

For Adams video games can be an art form but only if developers treat themselves as artists and the medium as art, too. In addition, there are some other points to consider that video games can be defined as art:

• Games have to be more than just fun
• Need of aesthetic
• Developer must experiment / take artistic risks
• Games must challenge the player
• Gaming awards must change (not only technical aspects)
• Need of critics instead of only reviews 

In my opinion, there is no question that video games can be art because it has a lot in common with different art types. The most similarity is with the literacy art because of its narrative characteristics. The video game industry developed some stories and characters which are becoming cult and will last a lifelong (e.g. Super Mario Bros, Pacman etc.). Video games are also responsible for some new visual design aesthetics like pixel graphics. Moreover, some video game devices are industrial design milestones (e.g. Gameboy). These few examples illustrate the variety of video games in the different art aspects. Maybe it is exactly this variety that makes it difficult for some art theorists to accept video games as art because video games can't be classified distinctly to one art type. But of course, not every video game is art, like not every movie is art, too.

Reference

Adams, E.W. (2007). Will Computer Games Ever be a Legitimate Art Form. In: Clark, A. and Mitchell, G. Videogames and Art. Bristol: Intellect. 255-264.

Super Mario Clouds (Cory Arcangel, 2002)

Almost everybody knows Nintendo’s video game hero “Super Mario Brothers”, which first appeared in 1985. The game was a pioneer for the so-called jump and run genre and is still available, of course, adjusted to today’s visual and technical computer standards. To describe the game itself as an artwork would be go too far, although it was a milestone in the video game history but the fun aspect has obvious priority. It rather was a commercial success and an icon of the pop culture.

Screen Shot "Super Mario Brothers"

Cory Arcangel shows in his artwork “Super Mario Clouds” how this famous video game classic can be transformed into art. He hacked the first Super Mario Brother version and removed the whole game content, that only the clouds in the blue sky are available. Due to the reduction of only these elements the game is shining in a complete different light. The composition of the pixel clouds creates a visual tension and imitates some former artist, who also worked with clouds in their artwork. For example, John Constable with his cloud studys in oil on canvas from the 19th-century.

 

John Constable "Cloud study"

Reference
Reena, J. and Tribe, M. (2009). New Media Art. Koeln: Taschen. 28-29.


More information

• Cory Arcangel