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On a second level, k-hello.org "seeks to escape
the standardized approach to word-processing,"
turning text into image and zooming that image to the
highest possible degree. Words on the monitor are not
read pixel by pixel but the piece forces the user to
do exactly that, "dramatically chang[ing] people's
approach to the computer visual interface; characters
disappear from the screen." The most basic interface
is broken down so that before the user can even chunk
together letters, the user has to chunk pieces of the
letters. The message becomes ephemeral, emphasizing
the transient nature of the cyberspace itself.
In exploring connectivity, however, this piece fails
to touch upon the possibility of virtual space having
three dimensions. While k-hello.org maintains that the
exact dimensionality of the web is difficult to distinguish,
the images of cyberspace have had three dimensions for
many years now. Since the realm of human imagination
and that of the web are tightly connected, the argument
for three-dimensionality is strong.
Waste of Time has another weak point in the tank logo.
The correlation between the title and the image isn't
as strong as the rest of the piece. It seems almost
an afterthought, thrown in as a response to current
events as opposed to a fully-realised component of the
piece.
One small but interestingly novel aspect of this piece
is the notation on how to display Waste pf Time. Netart
is still very new in terms of exhibited art. The ways
in which netart should be exhibited is still highly
debated. When DigitalVisions was first launched, the
exhibition sought to offer one approach to the debate.
That k-hello.org has had sufficient information to realise
how the piece might be displayed is indicative of how
far netart has gone in terms of being accepted by the
mainstream.
In Waste of Time, k-hello.org has collapsed the paradigm
of the web by enlarging its smallest units: the pixel
and the hyperlink. Because these units are so basic,
the piece can be appreciated by a large audience. It
dissects the internet, offering a simple summary of
its core tenet: it's a waste of time.
k-hello.org is and artist cooperative based in Italy
and headed by Luca D'Angelo. They have been exhibited
in Pescara Electronic Artists Meeting, Biennale adriatica
di arti nuove, 7th Japan media art festival, and Festival
for expanded media.
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