Net art (also called net.art) is a type of art that exists only on the internet. It doesn’t just use the web to share images—it uses the web itself as the art. This kind of art started in the 1990s, and it is very different from what we usually see online today. It doesn’t try to sell anything or look perfect. Instead, it focuses on feeling, experience, and sometimes even confusion.
Net art is full of strange designs. It often looks like websites from the early internet—raw HTML, broken images, old GIFs, and strange links. These websites may seem like mistakes, but many parts are made on purpose. The goal is not to make things easy, but to make people explore and feel something. Some websites are made to look like video games, blogs, or even computer viruses, but they all hide deeper ideas under their strange looks.
There are many styles and themes in net art. Some use ASCII art (pictures made with letters and symbols). Others create fake online worlds or use broken design to create a special mood. A site like Ghost City feels like a dream, while Jim Punk uses bugs and glitches to show how strange the internet can be. These works often mix fun with serious topics like memory, fear, or digital life.
One interesting part of net art is how it makes the user feel. These websites are not easy to use. You have to click around, get lost, and try to understand what’s going on. Some links don’t work anymore, but that’s part of the idea—nothing on the internet lasts forever. This shows how fast things change online and how easy it is to lose digital memories.
Sometimes, net art is shown in real museums. For example, one project at UC Berkeley showed a broken desktop with old journal entries. But most net art stays online, where it works best. It’s not made to hang on a wall—it’s made to live in a browser.
My Opinion
Net art is very different from modern websites and apps. Today, everything online is fast, clean, and made for profit. But net art shows another side of the internet—one that is creative, strange, and emotional. As a designer, I think that’s very exciting. We often focus too much on making things “perfect.” Net art reminds us that mistakes, confusion, and emotion can be part of design too. It gives us freedom to break the rules and try new things. Even if it’s old and broken now, net art still has something important to say.
