Silicon Rally

Date: 30 March - 8 June 1996

Since the Internet emerged as a new form of public space, we also wanted to investigate this area for the visual arts. Jouke Kleerebezem came up with the concept for a digital work place. A raised, platform was built around the whole space on which loose cushions were placed. Ten wooden lecterns, with computers linked through ISDN to the Internet, were pushed up to the edge of the outside of the platform. On the lower level, was a large reading table with documentation, information and magazines about the new media, plus vending machines for cold drinks and candy. Together with Arnold Mosselman,
Toine Ooms and Maarten de Reus from the working group Special Projects, Kleerebezem edited a website with a selection of interesting sites on public art, city planning, landscape architecture, digital cities and works by artists and architects who use the Internet as public space. Petra van der Meijden and Hans Pronk were responsible for the technical know how and there were always students from the TU Delft (Technical University) on hand to answer any questions that the visitors might have. In addition, there were lectures organized, workshops for artists and art students were held and representatives of ministries and cities came for an orientation.