Software art

Software art is a special kind of art where creating computer programs, or using ideas from computer programs, is an important part of making the artwork. These programs are often made by artists just to be pieces of art, not for everyday use. Since the late 1990s, software art has become more and more popular.

This kind of art is very close to Internet art because it usually needs the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, to share and talk about the works. Big art festivals like FILE Electronic Language International Festival in São Paulo, Transmediale in Berlin, Prix Ars Electronica in Linz, and readme in several cities have focused a lot on software art. They have helped many people, including teachers and learners, see and understand this exciting new art form better.

Selection of artists and works

Some artists create special software as art. For example, Scott Draves made a program called Electric Sheep in 1999 and a tool called Fractal flame in 1992. Netochka Nezvanova created an experimental web browser called nebula.m81, which won an award in 2001. Marc Lee focuses on software art and has won several awards. Jason Salavon makes images by combining many photos into one special picture. Adrian Ward designed Signwave, a tool that creates art automatically and makes fun of Adobe Photoshop. Martin Wattenberg uses data to make art about music, photos, and Wikipedia changes. LIA was an early creator of software and net art, and her website won an award in 2003.