In what ways is the use of the Internet affecting the balance of power in the art world? Can it help to overcome the dichotomy between "curated and curating" cultures? What has been genuinely useful till now in building cultural networks?
These and other questions are the subject of vital debate in an international forum hosted by the House of World Cultures in Berlin until December 4. Initiated by website curator Gerhard Haupt, initial statements addressing those issues by Andrea di Castro, Coco Fusco, Yu Yeon Kim, Kim Machan, Armin Medosch, Olu Oguibe, Ram Sundaram, Tom Vincent and Sue Williamson have been followed up by contributions by artists like Argentinian Pat Binder and curator Okwui Enwezor.
To sign on, read the new correspondence and make your own views known, click on join-forum1@hkw.kbx.de.
A New York-based website which is one of the best and the biggest, constantly updating current information on exhibitions, and offering excellent reviews and magazine coverage.
Focusing on an interchange of material about Africa, this fresh-looking Dutch-based site has a particular emphasis on the arts and culture of this continent, and searches for new virtual exhibitions to host online.
A site of truly wondrous projects. Breathing Earth, for instance, is a visualisation of earthquakes that have happened worldwide in the past 14 days. A globe with a map of the world comes into view, and on each of the 14 dates, swellings bubble up indicating the location of the seismic activities. Other projects involve the number of kilometres the world has swung round the sun while you have been busy on the website, and the sounds of the web itself.
One of the best - great artist projects, articles, news.
Intriguing initiatives especially designed for the web from a variety of artists. All of them are worth checking out.
This site initiated the "Cultural Exchange via Internet" described at the top of this column. Focus on information and news on the arts of African, the Americas and Asia/Pacific. Includes an admirable report by Sabine Vogel on the 3rd Dak'Art Biennial, Senegal, held in April this year. And peruse this page for lists of art opportunities and projects. All kinds of info you won't easily find elsewhere.
Other locally-related links
Cape Town Museums Online
The new website for all of Cape Town's museums - an easy way for potential visitors to decide exactly how to spend their time. One of the most striking features on the South African National Gallery page is a 360 degree view of Jane Alexander's Butcher Boys, the gallery's best-known and most popular piece.
Bringing Up Baby
Launched last month, this is the website of the 'Bringing Up Baby' exhibition, which has been extensively reviewed by ArtThrob in the last few months. This site brings you photographs of all the work on the show, plus catalogue material.
http://www.mg.co.za/mg/art/fineart/ fr-fineart_listings.htm
Luckily you can click through to the mega address of the Electronic Mail & Guardian's fine arts page, or you might pass up this extremely useful and concise listing of all the current visual art activity across the country.
http://www.artslink.co.za
Winner of the Arts and Culture Trust Award for best electronic media, when this fledgling site fulfils its aim of providing a comprehensive resource on all aspects of culture in the country, it will be truly valuable. The visual arts side needs serious attention. In the meantime, there's lots of info, particularly on the performing arts, and many connections to be made.
http://www.onepeople.com
An online road trip by Paul and Charity, recently in South Africa, in which they meet artists of many persuasions, interview them and record their work.
http://www.goodman-gallery.com/
Johannesburg's top gallery has recently revamped its site, making access to its information on many of the country's top artists more accessible
http://www.artsafari.com
Cape Town's new-on-the-scene Lipschitz Gallery with news of recent exhibitions. The gallery will arrange tours of local artists' studios for visitors.
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