Blazenko Karesin

I've reviewed all the submissions and am ready to name my favourites; first however, i'd like to have a few comments on the whole:

First, i'm a little disappointed in the overall lack of interactivity of what's supposed to be art in an interactive medium. Unfortunately, this is nothing new in web art - it seems to me that many artists have "migrated" to net-based art only to have a wider audience and to have an excuse of not having to work hard to make their "art". Great part of it is not employing the rich possibilities of the medium, and often is plain ugly. While i agree with tendency to minimalism as such - you have to limit yourself when the possibilities are to big, in order to avoid kitsch and plain overuse of them - but then the concept, the idea should carry the power of the work; but this is not often the case.

Second, there is a few submissions which i like as such, but as they don't seem to have any connection to the proposed subject (or it completely eluded me), i excluded them from my list of seven. For the same reasons, i'm not including those works that seem to be something else, hurriedly converted to 9.11 subject by simply throwing in a few images of WTC towers. If i misjudged some work as this kind, i sincerely apologize to the authors.

I also didn't take into account those that have a connection, but clearly weren't made FOR this exhibition, but before, as there was such a point in the rules; i also had a thing very related to the subject which i initially wanted to submit, but this rule stopped me, and i had to make something new - and i am glad in the end, because i wouldn't otherwise make what i submitted.

I am saying this to make clear that there are some works in the list which i appreciate as such, but won't vote for them for the above reasons.

All of this narrowed the list of candidates for my vote, and after a thorough thinking, here's my list of seven submissions:.............................

Ansgard Thomson

As a visual digital artist and cyberartist I have critically reviewed all entries carefully as a possible artwork I might like to see in a museum to have a lasting impact on the actual event of 911 as an act of evil masterminded attack on the human condition in the new millennium. Some of the artists have used this opportunity to create a memorial for the innocent victims of this event with merit . The new media as a technical means alone of communication fails to express the incredible impact this event had on the soul of all of us. As we like to preserve an image of the human race as we have known to protect our integrity as artists, we have to choose carefully. It is therefore understandable that some political activists needed to express themselves and placed themselves into the general media position of reporting instead of abstracting . With my own image I tried to say that no matter who we put behind barbed wire to protect us from such attacks from the sky ,this evil event can not be undone ,we are all victims of such human reasoning and should recognize the insanity that lead to it. (This includes attacs from new media that I like to call "terror from the net") I do hope that art on the net will be able to find a solution for the obvious short comings of such form of judging by including more artists ,who still choose art over cold blooded technology .

Agricola de Cologne

1. I think it is always good, to give people the feeling that they are needed, in so far a further involvement of an artist than only delivering some art work, is not bad, as such.

2. It is up to the organizers to make the rules of the competition, and it is their task to provide that all artists have the same conditions, the same is good for the jurors, as well.

3. There is not any serious event or competition, which does not guarantee the same conditions under which jurors can vote. Only equal conditions of the jury allow equal chances for the works to be voted over. Another essential represents that any voting is made and remains anonymously.

4. Concerning the artists, in case they accept the conditions given by the organizer they have all equal conditions.

5. Of course, anything is possible, even making artists to jurors.

6. But what kind of conditions are connected in this particular case by doing this:
a) the artist is suddenly confronted with new rules and conditions he has to accept or not, some of them are rather precise, others remain completely unclear
b) the artist has no choice, he is not kindly invited to be a juror, but he forced to be one in case he would like to continue the competition, there is no option for a volutarian basis
c) The conditions of voting are completely unknown, equal conditions are not guaranteed, at all, each individual juror votes under completely unknown individual circumstances, if he is able to vote, at all.
d) the jurors are not allowed to give their votes anonymously, but the result of their voting is going to be published under the name of the respective juror.

e) but the conditions are even worse, as the jurors do not know at all, what really will happen with their votes, for what kind of purpose their votes are really used, or if this voting takes any effect, at all.

The combination of this entire package is unbelievable!

Under terrestrial, physical conditions nobody would have ever dared to play such a game with artists and jurors in a democratic environment. And certainly nobody would have accepted that ever. But in Internet obviously everything is possible.
The artist as juror has to accept the most discrimating conditions, discriminating against himself, and discriminating against those artists he has to vote over.
The lack of equal conditions reduces further any voting to mere technological aspects,
the serious subject of the competition plays only a marginal role, yet, when some people are able to view certain works, others are not.

What a kind of cynism, against eveybody, against art as such, against the serious artist, against the public, against the victims of terror and against humanity. The forum demonstrates nothing else.

7. But there are many other questions: What is the meaning of that kind of voting at all? And connected to the subject of the competition? What kind of effect has the artist/juror voting on the decision who is the winner, who receives a prize? Is this voting basis of finding the winners, at all? If yes, is it the solely basis for finding the winners? If not, what kind of share? Or is that voting merely a show, a funny game in order to amuse the public how stupid artists can be? And, if it takes any effect, who would ever take these voting and the connected decisions seriously under the given conditions and cirmustances? and......, and....,

8. Finally, giving my voting does not mean, that I accept this entire procedure and the conception behind, at all. Therefore I make my voting without any further comment:....................................................

signed:

Agricola de Cologne

Judith Villamayor

Estimado MCMOGATK: Necesito exponer mis conceptos en español, disculpe las molestias ocasionadas por esta determinación.

concepto en el que me basé para hacer esta elección de trabajos:

tema: 9.11 El 9.11, fué un hecho "bisagra" que afectó al mundo, que haya ocurrido en NY, no fué casualidad, tal vez fué el emergente de una situación global de mucha tensión entre países del llamado 1er mundo y 3er.mundo Hay muchas sospechas que el énico responsable de estos episodios sean los mismo Estados Unidos. Fué un hecho donde las certezas se borraron en 20 minutos, y solo empezó a dar lugar a preguntas y más preguntas.

Importan quienes hayan sido las víctimas, pero también importa porqué hubo víctimas, por eso no escogí trabajos muy buenos como el de Eduardo Navas o Eryk Salvaggio, que hacen hincapié en el nombre de las víctimas.¿Por qué NY? ¿Por qué Afganistán?

En internet priorizo la interactividad, pero para desarrollar un concepto como el 9.11, donde solo quedamos expectantes no me parecía tan importante, por esta razón me inclin é por trabajos más pasivos como el de Antonio Mendoza, o el de Philip Wood, o Jimpunk, quedarnos atónitos mirando la pantalla, no pudiendo creer lo que vemos, nos toma, nos invade; aunque no pude ceder a los encantos de la interactividad de Andrey Welikanov, que muestra tan hábilmente la relación causa-efecto, dentro de una estética sólida y madura, y un diseño implecable, ni a la propuesta sencilla y contundente de Ali Miharbi .................

Ali MIiharbi

Most of the pieces were tributes or memorials to the event. Although I would prefer to see entries with broader perspectives, I focused on other criteria which I found more important. One of my criteria is to check if the Internet as a medium was appropriate for the piece. Another one was whether the artist had an innovative idea for communicating his/her message or feelings. Based on these, I had reduced my list to 15 entries. For reducing my list further to 7, I focused on what the artist had to tell about 9-11 in his/her piece while I compared the works in a more strict sense according to my criteria.

babel

I found it very difficult to find a suitable basis on which to judge these pieces 'against' one another, given the wide variety of their media and intended scope. Some of the smaller pieces impressed me more within their intended scope than the larger, more involved pieces. Ultimately I chose the works that made me think the most; also those which seemed to me to best express the feelings of September 11th from my own perspective. For me, Jurgen, Wernfried and Jody's pieces exemplified the dark confusion and shock of that day.

The process of artists judging one another in this way has been interesting to participate in. Perhaps next year, in addition to a text forum, the artists could have access to a multimedia forum such as http://www.tramtv.org - this would allow them to communicate in ways more appropriate to their pieces, or their own ways of talking about their work.

Andrey Velikanov

In my opinion Art on the Net 2002 has shown absolute powerlessness of the traditional form of art which means a personal reflection of the author. For all that it is completely unimportant, what technique is used - painting or modern technologies. Also is unimportant, whether the author is included in the art establishment or is free from it, thanking to Internet. Personal reflection radically contradicts modern philosophical ideas about crisis of 'metaphysics of presence'. As a result - not one in list of the works including mine can not be considered as adequate to a modern cultural situation.

All the more remarkable is that fact that 'Art on the Net 2002' itself shown with all evidence powerlessness of the modern art. The introductory article by Tetsuo Kogawa constructed on the citation from Adorno, is wonderful. Especially magnificent is the decision of the organisers to give judging to the participants. Blinds guide blinds. Culture is really garbage, and it could not be recyclable / displayable now, but Tetsuo Kogawa and You Minowa demonstrate possibility to work with this dust aesthetically and ethically.......

Jeff Gates

I was attracted by the submissions that used the "net" and its specific nature to construct their artworks. Projects that were from a different medium, like painting, still photography, and video, and were simply ported over to the net were not as interesting to me in this venue (although, some of these submissions were very intriguing in their own right).

One additional comment: I found it difficult with some sites to figure out what the context of the piece was (essentially, what this piece was trying to say). An artist statement for each piece would be nice. Building the context/explanation into the work would be even better.

Maurice Benayoun

Actually, for me there are too many stills and post video art works that don't fit the medium anyway. I'm also disappointed by all pseudo politically concerned works that only try to surf the wave instead of raising new and strong ideas.