In this text, São Paulo-based author and artist Gilbertto Prado reports on a project of art-related websites that engage, among other concepts, “space,” “architecture of construction,” “navigational structure,” “aesthetic composition of pages,” and “functionality and logic of access.” Prado formulates two categories: (1) websitesthat use the internet to disseminate information about events, exhibitions, and collections (2) websitesfor the production of events and networked pieces. He provides a list of examples of each of the categories. He reminds readers that, as an easy-to-use and intuitive graphic environment, the internet favors the presentation and circulation of interactive documents. He observes that, as early as the seventies, some artists made use of the internet to produce work that was global in scope via slow-scan TV, networks of personal computers, fax machines, and other forms of reproduction and distribution of electronic art. It was not until the eighties that the internet started to be operated systematically by means of, among other things, interactive public installations. Prado distinguishes between websites for the production of events and networked projects. He describes Ornitorrinco in Eden (1994) by Rio de Janeiro-based artist Eduardo Kac and North American artist Ed Bennett, claiming that it was the first work of telerobotics on the internet.

Gilbertto Prado (b. 1954) is a multimedia artist and curator who advocates electronic art in his production as an artist and as a theorist. Czech theorist Frank Popper discusses his art in the book Art of the Electronic Age (Thames and Hudson, 1997). Prado was a member of the Art-Réseaux group in Paris. Since 1981, he has participated in shows and projects in Brazil and abroad, among them Doppo il Turismo Vienne iI Colonialismo (Centro Lavoro Arte, Milan, 1989), Moone, Atelier des Réseaux - machines à communiquer (La Villette, Paris, 1992), Mutations de l’image (Vidéothèque of Paris, 1994), Arte e Tecnologia (MAC/USP, São Paulo, 1995), Mediações (Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, 1997), 2ª Bienal de Artes Visuais do Mercosul (Porto Alegre, 1999), Link_Age/Mecad (Barcelona, 2000), and Interconnect@ between attention and immersion (ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany, 2006).

Prado delves deeper into the topic addressed here in his book Arte telemática (2003). Articles on the topics of decentralization and the viability of new exchanges include “Utilizações artísticas de imagens em direto na world wide web” (see ICAA digital archive doc. no. 1111125), “Experimentações artísticas em redes telemáticas e web,” published in the journal Arte Brasil (São Paulo: 1998) (doc. no. 1111290) and a summary thereof published under the title “Cronologia de experiências artísticas nas redes de telecomunicações” (doc. no. 1111289). For a complementary perspective, see Mundos virtuais e vidas artificiais” by Suzete Venturelli (doc. no. 1111136) and “Arte eletrônica e cibercultura” by André Lemos (doc. no. 1111129).

Pertinent as well is “arteônica,” the pioneering work in electronic art by Concrete poet Waldemar Cordeiro (1925-1973). As early as 1969, he made use of enormous computers at the UNICamp (Campinas, SP) and the Universidade de São Paulo. See “Computer plotter art - primeira mostra na América Latina,” published in 1970 (doc. no. 1110487) and “Arteônica” (doc. no. 1110836), published in 1971.