Artist Exploration

Whitneybiennial.com was conceived by Miltos Manetas and Peter Lunenfeld in a clever effort to challenge the opening of the Whitney Biennial show. This website is a collaborative piece that uses the talents of over one hundred individuals to display their animated pieces integrated into a clean interactive web design.

The website allows you to stroll through an art museum like space, perusing computer generated works. By moving the mouse along a map situated at the bottom of the page, you simultaneously walk through the exhibition spaces, creating a virtual art viewing experience.

Soft background melodies enhance the airy, contemporary atmosphere. The website successfully mimics contemporary art curation and installation practices while adding an inclusive interactive element allowing the greater public to be the artist and the viewer.

The website uses Flash to create a user friendly and visually appealing experience while delivering a clever commentary on the pretentiousness of said art fair by allowing viewers to manipulate the pieces, many of which are similar to that of famous contemporary artists. The theme and layout used in this website ties the design and concept together successfully.

One of the drawbacks about this website is that it seems like a few of the artworks do not upload correctly. This may be due to the type of software that was used to create it. Also, at times, the map or guide doesn’t navigate as smoothly as it could.

Overall I think the website is a unique and creative way to mirror an environment while at the same time critiquing it.