Webart

Webart, or web art, refers to art practices that use the World Wide Web as the primary medium for creation, distribution, and display. It spans net art, browser-based installations, interactive sites, and data-driven works that rely on online platforms, networks, and technologies. It often emphasizes process, participation, and the networked nature of the web.

Webart emerged in the 1990s with net art and artists such as Olia Lialina and the duo JODI, who treated the web as an artistic space rather than a mere distribution channel. The field expanded in the Web 2.0 era, with artists using social media, blogs, and interactive sites to engage audiences. Since the 2010s, advances in browser graphics, JavaScript, and APIs have enabled browser-based generative works, data-driven pieces, and immersive WebXR experiences.

Forms and methods include browser-based installations, interactive narratives, data visualization, algorithmic or generative art, responsive design, and participatory pieces in which viewers influence outcomes. Common tools are HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Processing, p5.js, Three.js, WebGL, and various APIs.

Preservation and reception: Webart faces challenges from changing technologies and link rot. Institutions such as Rhizome, museums, and digital archives work to preserve and contextualize works. Critical discussions focus on authorship, copyright, and the public, participatory nature of web-based art.

See also: Net art; Digital art; Web design; Browser art; WebGL.