Page 38 - Fundação MEO - Net Arte no Triângulo das Bermudas

a mini-computer programmed to collect news data, with the process
visualised in real-time on a monitor placed at the entrance of CAAA;
and Sentiments Datasets – a set of three small crystal sculp-
tures, each mounted on a base and internally illuminated, allowing
visitors to see visual representations of some of the collected data
from the artist’s program. This data-driven visualisation offers an
unconventional perspective on the intricate connections between the
physical and virtual worlds, as well as the interplay between real-time
information and archival processes.
The artistic projects featured in Net Arte no Triângulo
das Bermudas not only explore the creative, aesthetic, and
communicational potential of the medium but also contribute to its
critical examination. Their creators share an interest in the non-com-
mercial possibilities of the Internet, engaging in critical reflections on
its integration into Portuguese society and everyday life. While some
artists – such as Beatriz Albuquerque, Joana Chicau, Rui Torres,
wr3ad1ng d1g1t5, and Rudolfo Quintas – regularly incorporate the
Internet into their practice, others engage with it sporadically. The
exhibition presented their works in ways that resonate with their
contexts of creation, following a broad definition of net art. This
was a deliberate choice, because the artists in this exhibition do not
consider themselves “net artists”, although they expressed interest in
the research underpinning it and empathy with the challenges faced
in its curatorial process.

TO CONCLUDE TO UPGRADE

There is no single way to present digital art – there are countless
approaches. For this reason, both the exhibition and the accom-
panying chronology are inherently subjective. The exhibition emerged
from a demanding research and curatorial process, resulting in
a complex interplay of decisions, conceptual choices, and strategies
that were tested throughout its development. Given the ephemeral
nature of this type of artistic project, no clear distinction was estab-
lished between documentation and artistic works, nor were the latter
restricted to their original versions. At this stage, it is only possible
to respond to the initial questions in non-definitive ways.
The exhibition was not conceived to construct a “history,” nor
was it intended to rescue a community of artists operating on the
margins of Portugal’s traditional art system – nor, for that matter, to
establish an archaeology of disappearing hardware, despite the fact
that it may have contributed to such an effort. Rather, the objective

The Study of Net Art in Portugal and the Exhibition
The Study of Net Art in Portugal and the Exhibition 38
Net Arte no Triângulo das Bermudas
Net Arte no Triângulo das Bermudas