By the end of internet’s first year, it was possible to browse a total of ten websites, somewhat paltry when one considers the current 1.5 billion available to us. The global pandemic has left us increasingly dependent upon these sites, none more so than the art world, who have found their world entirely inverted in the past four months.
Olia Lialina, one of the first Net Artists to reach critical acclaim, found herself in a more fortunate position than most. In spite of her solo retrospective, due to be held at the Arebyte gallery in London, being delayed amid the pandemic, Lialina is well versed in the ways of online art. Indeed, the bulk of her work is not made for physical galleries at all.
In an interview with The New York Times, Lialina noted that while she had hoped her real-life show could still go ahead: “The internet is my primary location. It is where I meet my audience.”
The art world’s reaction to the pandemic has varied from institution to institution. While an estimated 95 per cent of galleries have been forced to close their doors as a result of the pandemic, the online platform remains wide open. Decades of pondering the use of the digital as a supplement for the physical have left galleries with no choice – go online or get left behind.
Indeed, Lialina, notes the irony of the situation: “It’s nice to be recognized” she says, considering the fact that her digital profile has expanded since the outbreak of the pandemic. “It’s not the first time you think, ‘Oh, you didn’t know this stuff exists?’”
It is not entirely fair to suggest that galleries have been out of the loop completely. MoMa have dedicated an entire room to a piece by Dutch duo JODI which shows a Mac in meltdown. However, the art world has considered the digital as a novelty, instead of a genre in its own right.
As lockdown continues, one wonders what the long-term repercussions of Covid-19 will be, for Lialina and her cohort, both online and off.
