http://cristine.org/borders

**Intro statement by the curator, Cristine Wang** 

This exhibition will attempt to present a comprehensive survey of the work of artists 
who are breaking down the borders or boundaries that define artistic practise in the 
21st century. 

From the computer DESKTOP, to DOWNLOADABLE COMPUTER VIRUSES, OPEN SOURCE 
AND CODE CRACKING SOFTWARE, and E-BOOKS, to ALTERNATIVE NETWORK BROWSERS, OPERATING SYSTEMS and SHAREWARE/FREEWARE, DOMAIN NAME SERVERS, to GAMING PATCHES, LISTSERVS, ONLINE THEATER (in the form of activism, or ELECTRONIC
PROTEST)--what constitutes "ART" is being re-defined as EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES and mediums are giving artists the "TOOLS" and a new means of expression. 

In addition, our notions or definitions of the tangible, physical "BORDER" "TERRITORY" 
or "OWNERSHIP/PROPERTY" is being transformed in the virtual realm of cyberspace. 
The idea of territory becomes one of "INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY" and "COPYRIGHT
/LEFT". Geopolitical, and topographical territories are being replaced with domain of the Corporations and Governmental Agencies (ICANN) who control the "space" of the World Wide Web. Borders existing on the network, tracing the idea of "open" borders vs. "closed" borders, similarly 
we look at "firewalls", "encryption", "carnivore"; in contrast to "open source", "General Public License" (and therefore the ideas of "authorship") "sharing
of files", "data transfer". The "SERVER" or "HARD DRIVE" as the new territory where "HACKING" and "ART" exchange fertile ground in the realm of the digital NETWORK we know as the Internet. 

Artists and Activists have their say in the wide open territory of the WWW, creating a hybrid art form called "PRACTIVISM" (--Paul Garrin). Hackers and Activists merge and become "HACKTIVISTS" (--Electronic Disturbance Theater). A new form of electronic theater or digital performance art is developing, that of the Online Protest, or "VIRTUAL
SIT-IN". 

At the beginning of the 21st century, we see that the words of Joseph Beuys has its corollary in the electronic realm: 
"...Social Sculpture--how we mold and shape the world in which we live:
SCULPTURE AS AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS; EVERYONE IS AN ARTIST...
All around us the fundamentals of life are crying out to be shaped, or created." 

[--Joseph Beuys]




an online exhibition
curated by Cristine Wang

May 25-August 25, 2002

<MANIFESTA 4>
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

**Participating Artists 
+ Writers**

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Mark Amerika
Betty Beaumont
C5 Corp
David Crawford
Douglas Davis
Andy Deck
Electrohippies Collective Electronic Disturbance Theater
Epidemic-C 
Fakeshop 
Peter Fend
Joy Garnett
Paul Garrin
Marina Grzinic & Aina Smid
Wenda Gu 
Ingo Gunther 
Fran Ilich 
I/O/D 
Irational.org
Jodi.org
Eduardo Kac
Yael Kanarek 
Knowbotic Research
Tina LaPorta
Lawrence Lessig
Lev Manovich
Jenny Marketou
Jennifer + Kevin McCoy
MEZ
Mark Napier
Netochka Nezvanova 
Marko Peljhan 
RTMark
Scanner
Marleen Stikker
Linus Torvalds
Stephen Vitiello
Ade Ward
Stefan Wray

view the exhibition online at: 
http://cristine.org/borders