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One of the earliest and most impressive examples of online media art is
Catalan artist Antonio Muntadas's "The File Room." Debuting in 1994,
this interactive archive of two millennia of social and cultural
censorship chronicles hundreds of cases of perceived censorship, some of
which have gone unnoticed—or at least unmentioned—by the media.
Visitors may search the site by geography, subject matter, medium, or
time period. "The File Room" invokes questions about the character of
censorship itself and constitutes a hidden history of thwarted personal
expression and silenced communities. But it's not a political mausoleum.
"The File Room" is an ever-expanding record; visitors can add new cases
of censorship simply by filling out an online form. The result is a
powerful experience that makes real the insidious nature and effects of
censorship.
The Media Channel is delighted to present and host "The File Room." This
well-known artwork has an all-too-typical history. It was developed in
Chicago as a project of Randolph Street Gallery (a non-profit art space)
and the University of Illinois. Since the closing of Randolph Street
Gallery in 1998, Muntadas has been considering other online venues for
"The File Room." Unlike conventional artworks, interactive, ever-growing
projects like
"The File Room" demand computer space and upkeep. After many
discussions with museums, Muntadas selected The Media Channel as a kind
of experiment. "Since contemporary work is not always relevant to
museums," he says, "It is important to create a new context for it on
the Net."
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AS THE MEDIA WATCH THE WORLD, WE WATCH THE MEDIA.
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