Exploring the Digital Archive Through the Virtual Art Exhibition 'Search History'
Visit the immersive online art experience reimagining the future of digital preservation until November 6th
The virtual exhibition Search History, hosted by WILLOW Online Art Space, invites visitors to explore the ever-shifting nature of digital archives. It was first launched in July 2024 and was recently extended until November 6th due to popular demand. Search History offers a unique, gamified experience merging art, technology and critical thinking. Set in an interactive 3D environment, visitors can navigate through various virtual spaces, encountering the different perspectives of preserving the personal and collective histories of the internet.
The moment the exhibition loads, you are transported into a place no longer on earth— to a hub with winding paths and portals to little thematic universes by different artists. As I ventured through the spaces, I saw diamond-like sculptures and heavy, imposing structures, all juxtaposed in styles and atmospheres. Existentialist text accompanied the art in certain places, questioning the future of digital archiving. There was always something unexpected the further I explored, the art reflecting different states of digital impermanence in today's age.
Jens, the artistic director from WILLOW, shared insights on how Search History evolved from a student project into a professional art residency. "We started four years ago, and this exhibition really focuses on the challenges of archiving digital art," they explained. "The digital world offers endless possibilities, but preserving it is a different story—technology changes, and what was once easily accessible might become obsolete."
It was these contemplations which birthed the concept of Search History. What happens to digital art when the platforms it relies on become outdated? Jens described how artists in the exhibition were encouraged to reflect on archiving the digital world, drawing parallels between ancient libraries lost to history and the fragility of modern online spaces.
During a three-month residency, WILLOW invited five emerging artists - Michiel Teeuw, Fadi Houmani, Ster Borgman, Sojung Lee, Siem de Boer, to explore these questions. They began with research before creating their work in collaboration with WERClab, a digital art space in Groningen. While some artists like Michiel came from a background in design, Siem explored digital media for the first time since studying fine arts mediums and glassblowing. In fact, for most of the artists, this was their first time experimenting with presenting their work in an online environment.
The result is an immersive exhibition that defies the boundaries of traditional art galleries, offering visitors the chance to experience art in a virtual world not restricted by gravity or physical space. One artist duo, Fadi and Stair, created a work that shifts perspective as you move through it, a feat only possible in a digital environment. "It’s kind of like dreaming in impossibilities," Jens noted.
WILLOW’s focus on accessibility is also noteworthy. In the future, they aim to open up the digital art world to more diverse voices, ensuring that participants won’t need advanced technical skills to join. "We believe everyone should have the opportunity to contribute to this space," Jens emphasised. This commitment is reflected in the platform’s design, which is open, easy to navigate, and accessible to a wide audience.
As a visitor, the experience was both calming and thought-provoking. The exhibition seamlessly blends aesthetic beauty with intellectual exploration, encouraging viewers to question what happens to the vast amount of digital content we create, share, and store. Is it truly permanent? Or are we simply building digital monuments destined to vanish?
Whether you're an art enthusiast or curious about the future of digital archives, Search History offers a fresh, engaging perspective on the intersection of technology and art. With its innovative format (and free access), I’d say it’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed.Â
Search History is funded by Kunstraad Groningen, Stimuleringsfonds, Mondriaan Fonds, Cultuurloket DigitALL, Het Cultuurfonds.
About WILLOW Online Art Space
Stichting WILLOW Online Art Space is a Groningen-based foundation organising virtual art exhibitions, artistic residencies, events and publishing research initiated by a group of students and alumni from Hanze Hogeschool, Minerva Academy and the University of Groningen. WILLOW aims at creating spaces for autonomous art on the web, stimulating critical reflections on the digital and its infrastructure, and playing with the conventions of art presentation. WILLOW created its own online and interactive 3D presentation space where emerging artists are guided in the development of new digital work and research through short and longer residencies. These activities encourage the artists to break digital boundaries, engage with the audience in novel ways, and perform research with an experimental yet critical approach.Â
The artistic residencies are made possible through a collaboration with WERC collective. They opened the doors to their studio to guide the artists thanks to their expertise and more than 15 years of experience in the field of digital art.Â
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