“I always wanted to make work that could be seen by anyone, anywhere, anytime,” says Rafaël Rozendaal, an innovator in the realm of Internet-based art. Since the early 2000s, his vibrant animations have explored the aesthetic and conceptual possibilities of code, treating it as if it were paint.
Because Rozendaal has chosen the Internet as his canvas, these works are accessible online by everyone. Each artwork starts as a storyboard sketched on paper, which is then translated into code and occupies only a handful of kilobytes. Its final form is an autonomous website powered by an algorithm that generates the animation in real time. Rozendaal’s practice unfolds within the visual possibilities of the browser, harnessing the flat yet multi-dimensional digital landscape.
This installation presents a selection of his websites, each sampled for two to three minutes on a high resolution screen measuring nearly 25 feet across. From the start, these artworks were intended to be resolution-independent and robust enough to withstand the evolution of software and screens. Rozendaal’s goal is for us to experience a state of immersion so complete that it becomes one with our physical world. As he explains, “I imagine we will live in a world where there is no difference between a screen and any other surface.”
Organized by Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, and Amanda Forment, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design.
