THE THING

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Since its inception THE THING has provided a flexible and supportive venue for developing, presenting and distributing innovative forms of on-line activism, media art and cultural criticism.

THE THING was founded in 1991 and became a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation in September 1998. Prior to that date it was supported entirely by the dedication and enthusiasm of a community of volunteer activists and artists. Even with these limited resources THE THING quickly gained a reputation as a center for new media practice and theory, social forums and on-line art projects.

Initially, in 1991, THE THING took the form of a dial-up bulletin board system (BBS) that facilitated discussion and experimentation, primarily within the New York City arts communities. In 1995 THE THING launched its website http://bbs.thing.net, expanding and intensifying its efforts through initiating individual and collaborative efforts with an extraordinary variety of emerging and established artists.

Over the last three decades, THE THING has played a seminal role not just in fostering a generation of network-oriented activist, artists, critics, and curators, but also - and equally important - searching out ways to interconnect their diverse interests and activities. (2022)


Nodes[edit]

Publications[edit]

  • The Thing. Yellow Reader, November 1992. Print publication with excerpts from online discussions.
  • THE THING Itself, eds. Wolfgang Staehle and Jordan Crandall, Autonomedia/Semiotext(e), Fall/Winter 1999. Book/CD-ROM publication with essays (original writing) by contributing writers, excerpts from THE THING’s online forums, as well as art work reproductions originally published by THE THING, covering history of THE THING from 1991 to 1999.

About THE THING[edit]

  • Michael Krome, "THE THING Idee und Entwicklung", in Im Zentrum der Peripherie. Kunstvermittlung und Vermittlungskunst in den 90er Jahren, ed. Marius Babias, Dresden: Verlag der Kunst, 1995. [7] (German)
  • Inke Arns, Netzkulturen, Hamburg: Europäische Verlagsanstalt, 2002, p 52. (German)
  • Christiane Paul, Digital Art, London: Thames & Hudson, 2003, p 111.
  • Mark Tribe, Reena Jana, New Media Art, Cologne: Taschen, 2006, pp 22-23.
  • Edward A. Shanken, Art and Electronic Media, London: Phaidon, 2009, p 50.

Links[edit]