When the Cat's Away

What would happen if we fired all the curators? Would the art world disintegrate into chaos - no traffic cops, no mediators? Two years ago Irish net artist Conor McGarrigle decided to try it, on-line. The first Stunned Net Art Open, conceived 'to provide an exhibition free of curatorial bias which presents a true snapshot of the state of the art today,' accepted any and all net art creations with no qualifying criteria. A huge response in 2002 and 2003 prompted technical innovations for this year's show, which allow a maximum of viewing with a minimum of clicking. Now each work is individually blogged, and every three days there's a fresh one posted. Or if you prefer, access the RSS and XML feeds so you won't miss a thing. Projects range from Nicolas Clauss's painterly 'White Vibes' to John Gerrard's politically-charged 'Slow Death,' with ongoing new entries. So far everything looks smart, diverse and relevant - nothing stunned about it. - Peggy MacKinnon