Summer, an animated GIF work, features the Russian artist swinging back and forth in an infinitely loop against a gradient background of blue and white. The animation comprises 18 still images distributed across 26 different websites. Each website redirects the browser from one server to the next, displaying the images in sequence, resulting in a cross-domain animation that is impossible to watch offline. The speed and rhythm of the image sequence depend on the internet infrastructure that supports it. Any disruption in the web page down will interrupt the work. Summer exemplifies the interconnectedness of art and computer networks. 

At Cultural Matter, Summer was not displayed on a screen but projected directly onto the brick wall of the exhibition space. The website itself was transformed into a spatial installation, allowing the swinging artist to be shown in full size. To emphasize the conceptual foundation of the work, the browser bar, which serves as an essential element with various domain names, was enlarged and brought into the spotlight. Furthermore, a dedicated internet connection was installed specifically for the work to ensure uninterrupted projection.

On the opening night (27 September 2017), Lialina shared her insights as one of the early net.artists who worked with animated GIF files in a conversation with curator Karen Archey (Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam). They delved into the influence of the early web on the artist's artistic practice, her passion for GIF animations and the underlying webring phenomenon that informs Summer. The discussion placed the artwork within a historical context encompassing technology, philosophy, and art. 

Klaas Kuitenbrouwer (Nieuwe Instituut Rotterdam) took Lialina’s work as a starting point for a lecture and screening programme on 20 December 2017. Titled The Perfect GIF, his lecture explored the impact of technological developments on contemporary culture and society, investigating the reciprocal relationship between the internet and art. 

About Olia Lialina

Olia Lialina is part of the net.art movement. Her work is canonical in the field of internet art, and of lasting influence. Olia Lialina describes herself as a web artist and animated GIF model. She also writes on digital folklore and user culture. Lialina is a professor for New Media at Merz Akademie, Stuttgart, Germany. (updated as of November 2017)

Events

Exhibition: 24 November 2017 - 3 January 2018 | 17:00-23:00 | LI-MA (Arie Biemondstraat 111, Amsterdam)

Event (1): Cultural Matter: Olia Lialina in conversation with Karen Archey (Stedelijk Museum) | 24 November 2017 | 20:00

Event (2): Cultural Matter: Klaas Kuitenbrouwer on Olia Lialina | 20 December 2017 | 19:30

Images in descending order:

• Banner Cultural Matter: Olia Lialiana
• Installation view Olia Lialina, Summer, 2013 at LI-MA, Amsterdam
• Curator Klaas Kuitenbrouwer discusses Olia Lialina's Summer, 2013

Photos by Jose Miguel Biscaya