Miltos Manetas
Encyclopedia
Miltos Manetas is a Greek
painter and multimedia artist. He currently lives and works in Highgate
Manetas has created Internet Art
as well as paintings of cables, computers, video games and Internet websites. His work has been collected by Charles Saatchi
. He is also the founder of "Neen", an Internet-based art movement.
Manetas presented the Whitneybiennial.com, an online exhibition that challenged the 2002 Whitney Biennial show.
at the age of 20. In 1995 he was included in Traffic
, the survey exhibition curated by Nicolas Bourriaud
that helped to launch the Relational Aesthetics art movement.
Manetas was categorized as one of artists of that movement in the catalogue of the Traffic
show, and later, in Bourriaud's book Relational Aesthetics. But at this time, Manetas decided to change his approach to art, abandoning performance
, objects and site specific installations
, and he began making paintings about computer technology, exploring the possibilities of creating art by using video games and the Internet.
In 1996, Manetas moved to New York City
and began working on a series of video game-related artworks, using Lara Croft
and Mario
as "ready-made" characters. In SuperMario Sleeping, a video from 1998, Mario sleeps under a tree, while in Flames, a 1997 video, Lara Croft is constantly getting hurt. Both works were exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
, in the exhibition entitled Made in Italy. It was at that occasion that The Guardian
published an article on Manetas calling him the El Greco
of the Geeks.
In subsequent years, Manetas displayed exhibitions throughout the world. Another important show was Elysian Fields at Centre Georges Pompidou
in Paris, curated by the Purple Institute.
Manetas then commissioned a California branding agency to come up with a new term that would bring a radical change to his work. In spring of 2000, Manetas presented the new name, Neen, to an exhibition-performance held at the Gagosian Gallery
in New York City.
Following this presentation, Manetas moved to Los Angeles
, where he started his ElectronicOrphanage enterprise. He hired young people with experience in contemporary art and/or design, asking them to abandon what they were doing to test ideas for the Internet. In 2002, Manetas presented the Whitneybiennial.com, an online exhibition which challenged the 2002 Whitney Biennial show.
In 2007, London's Hayward Gallery
commissioned Manetas to do a special project around the idea of Existential Computing, a new term he was using for his practice. During this show, Manetas met Malcolm McLaren
and they participated together in a show that artist Stefan Bruggemann curated at the I-20
gallery in New York City in September 2007. Manetas' work for this exhibition was a piece commissioned previously by Newcastle's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
and the British magazine Dazed & Confused
for the Dazed & Confused versus Andy Warhol exhibition. It consisted solely of a URL written on the wall: "http://www.ThankYouAndyWarhol.com.
In 2009, Manetas together with curator Jan Aman, created the first ever "Internet Pavilion" for the Venice Biennale. As a part of this work, they invited ThePirateBay and the Piratbyrån
activists to participate and make their first "Embassy of Piracy."
2010
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1996
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
painter and multimedia artist. He currently lives and works in Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
Manetas has created Internet Art
Internet art
Internet art is a form of digital artwork distributed via the Internet. This form of art has circumvented the traditional dominance of the gallery and museum system, delivering aesthetic experiences via the Internet. In many cases, the viewer is drawn into some kind of interaction with the work...
as well as paintings of cables, computers, video games and Internet websites. His work has been collected by Charles Saatchi
Charles Saatchi
Charles Saatchi is the co-founder with his brother Maurice of the global advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, and led that business - the world's largest advertising agency in the 1980s - until they were forced out in 1995. In the same year the Saatchi brothers formed a new agency called M&C...
. He is also the founder of "Neen", an Internet-based art movement.
Manetas presented the Whitneybiennial.com, an online exhibition that challenged the 2002 Whitney Biennial show.
Career
Born in Athens, Greece, Miltos Manetas moved to MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
at the age of 20. In 1995 he was included in Traffic
Traffic (art exhibition)
Traffic is the title of a group exhibition of contemporary art that took place at CAPC musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, France, through February and March, 1996...
, the survey exhibition curated by Nicolas Bourriaud
Nicolas Bourriaud
Nicolas Bourriaud is a French curator and art critic. He co-founded, and from 1999 to 2006 was co-director of the Palais de Tokyo, Paris together with Jerôme Sans. He was also founder and director of the contemporary art magazine Documents sur l'art , and correspondent in Paris for Flash Art from...
that helped to launch the Relational Aesthetics art movement.
Manetas was categorized as one of artists of that movement in the catalogue of the Traffic
Traffic (art exhibition)
Traffic is the title of a group exhibition of contemporary art that took place at CAPC musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, France, through February and March, 1996...
show, and later, in Bourriaud's book Relational Aesthetics. But at this time, Manetas decided to change his approach to art, abandoning performance
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
, objects and site specific installations
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
, and he began making paintings about computer technology, exploring the possibilities of creating art by using video games and the Internet.
In 1996, Manetas moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began working on a series of video game-related artworks, using Lara Croft
Lara Croft
Lara Croft is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Square Enix video game series Tomb Raider. She is presented as a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic British archaeologist-adventurer who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world...
and Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
as "ready-made" characters. In SuperMario Sleeping, a video from 1998, Mario sleeps under a tree, while in Flames, a 1997 video, Lara Croft is constantly getting hurt. Both works were exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
, in the exhibition entitled Made in Italy. It was at that occasion that The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
published an article on Manetas calling him the El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
of the Geeks.
In subsequent years, Manetas displayed exhibitions throughout the world. Another important show was Elysian Fields at Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
in Paris, curated by the Purple Institute.
Manetas then commissioned a California branding agency to come up with a new term that would bring a radical change to his work. In spring of 2000, Manetas presented the new name, Neen, to an exhibition-performance held at the Gagosian Gallery
Gagosian Gallery
Gagosian Gallery is a contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Larry Gagosian. There are currently eleven gallery spaces: three in New York; two in London; one in each of Beverly Hills, Rome, Athens, Paris, Geneva, Hong Kong and Moscow.-1980s:...
in New York City.
Following this presentation, Manetas moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he started his ElectronicOrphanage enterprise. He hired young people with experience in contemporary art and/or design, asking them to abandon what they were doing to test ideas for the Internet. In 2002, Manetas presented the Whitneybiennial.com, an online exhibition which challenged the 2002 Whitney Biennial show.
In 2007, London's Hayward Gallery
Hayward Gallery
The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames, in central London, England. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings and also the Royal National Theatre and British Film Institute...
commissioned Manetas to do a special project around the idea of Existential Computing, a new term he was using for his practice. During this show, Manetas met Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
and they participated together in a show that artist Stefan Bruggemann curated at the I-20
I-20 (art gallery)
The I-20 Gallery is a mid-level contemporary art gallery in the Chelsea District of Manhattan, New York City, USA. It was founded in 1997 by Paul Judelson, with the advice of the Russian artist Africa....
gallery in New York City in September 2007. Manetas' work for this exhibition was a piece commissioned previously by Newcastle's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is an international centre for contemporary art located on the south bank of the River Tyne alongside the Gateshead Millennium Bridge in Gateshead, North East England, United Kingdom...
and the British magazine Dazed & Confused
Dazed & Confused (magazine)
Dazed & Confused is a British style magazine, that was set up in 1992 and published monthly. Its founding editors were Jefferson Hack and Rankin...
for the Dazed & Confused versus Andy Warhol exhibition. It consisted solely of a URL written on the wall: "http://www.ThankYouAndyWarhol.com.
In 2009, Manetas together with curator Jan Aman, created the first ever "Internet Pavilion" for the Venice Biennale. As a part of this work, they invited ThePirateBay and the Piratbyrån
Piratbyrån
Piratbyrån was a Swedish organization established to support people opposed to current ideas about intellectual property — by freely sharing information and culture...
activists to participate and make their first "Embassy of Piracy."
Exhibitions
Selected Exhibitions2010
- SEVEN RESOLUTIONS, La Central, Bogota, Colombia (SOLO SHOW)
- PIRATE PAINTINGS, GloriaMaria Gallery, Milan, Italy (SOLO SHOW)
- NETinSPACE, MAXXI-Museo nazionale delle arti del XXi secolo, Rome, Italy
2009
- UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, 53rd International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Collateral Events, Arsenale Novissimo, Venice, Italy
- PADIGLIONE INTERNET, 53rd International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Collateral Events, Venice, Italy
- THANKYOUANDYWARHOL.COM, Galería Casado Santapau, Madrid (SOLO SHOW)
2008
- Kunstmaschinen Maschinenkunst (ART MACHINES MACHINE ART), Tinguely Museum, Basel, CH and Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, German
- THE ALLIANCE, Hyundai Galleries, Beijing, China , Seoul, Korea
- ON TIME, EAST WING COLLECTION 8, The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, UK
2007
- THE INTERNET PAINTINGS, Blow de la Barra Gallery, London (SOLO SHOW)
- SHALLOW, Curated by Stefan Bruggemann, I-20 Gallery, NY
- ON FAIT LE MUR, Curated by Jean-Marc Avrilla,Espace de l’Art Concret, Mouans Sartoux, France
- HER(HIS)STORY, Curated by Marina Fokidis at the Cycladic Museum in Athens
- DAZED AND CONFUSED VERSUS ANDY WARHOL, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, UK
- GAMEWORLD, Laboral, Gijon, Spain
2006
- DOGS AND CABLES, Yvon Lambert Gallery , NY, USA (SOLO SHOW)
- MIND GAMES, The Art of Videogames, Prince Charles Cinema, London
- THE LONG WALK, Contemporary Art Museum, Athens, Greece
- UNTITLED EXHIBITION, Rebecca Camhi Gallery, Athens
- AN OUTING, Leonidas Beltsios Collection, Trikala, Greece
- SUPERNEEN, Galleria Pack, Milan
2005
- VALENCIA BIENNIAL, Valencia, SPAIN
- PRAGUE BIENNIAL II, Prague
- ELECTROSCAPE, Zendai Museum, Shanghai, China
- FROM NEEN TO SONAR, Sonar Festival, Barcelona
- NEEN DAY, Sketch, London
- COHABITATS, Ghislaine Hussenot Gallery, Paris
- EXISTENTIAL COMPUTING, Hayward Gallery, London , UK
- ABSTRACT SUPERMARIO PERFORMANCE
2004
- MEMOIRS OF THE DEVIL, Cosmic Gallery, Paris , France (SOLO SHOW)
- MEDIACITY SEOUL, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
- DIGITAL SUBLIME, New Masters of Universe”, MoCA TaipeiMoCA TaipeiMoCA Taipei is a museum of contemporary art, located in Taipei, Taiwan.It was built during the period of Japanese rule in 1921 as Jan Cheng Elementary School, which now occupies a new structure on the back of the historical building.After WWII, it hosted the Taipei city government and became an...
, Taiwan - CURIOUS WISHES, Palais De Tokyo, Paris
2003
- TIRANA BIENNIAL, Tirana, Albania
2002
- JESUSSWIMMING, Moca, Tucson, Arizona (SOLO SHOW)
- WHITNEYBIENNIAL.COM NY ,USA (Link)
- URGENT PAINTING, Museum of Modern Art, Paris, FR
- MEDIACITY SEOUL, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
- AFTERNEEN, Casco, Utrecht, Holland
2001
- BIENNALE.NET BY THE ELECTRONICORPHANAGE, Deitch projects. NY, USA
- MY REALITY: The Culture of Anime and Contemporary Art, Des Moines Art Center Brooklyn Museum of Art, NY
2000
- NEEN, a new Art Movement, Gagosian Gallery, NY 2000 (SOLO SHOW)
- PRESUMED INNOCENT, CAPC Museum of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux, FR
- ELYSIAN FIELDS, Centre Pompidou, Paris, FR
1999
- AFTER VIDEOGAMES, Lux Gallery, London 1999 (SOLO SHOW)
- EIGHT PERFECT PAINTINGS, Lawing Gallery, Houston, Texas (SOLO SHOW)
- LE CAPITAL, Contemporary Art Center of Sete, FR
- Active Worlds, CHELSEA, ARCO ART FAIR -Galleria New Santandrea
- Synopsis 1, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, GR
1998
- MIRRORSITES 98, Postmasters Gallery , New York, Philippe Rizzo, Paris, Dan Bernier, Los Angeles (SOLO SHOWS)
1997
- FATTO IN ITALIA – Contemporary Art from Italy, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva
- MADE IN ITALY, ICA, London.
1996
- SELECTED OBJECTS, Le Consortium Centre d’Art Contemporain, Dijon.(SOLO SHOW)
- SHOPPING, Deitch projects, Guggenheim Museum Soho, NYC
- TRAFFIC, CAPC Museum of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux, FR
- BEIGE, Curated by Purple Magazine, Olivier Zahm and Elein Fleiss, Saga Basement, Copenhagen
External links
- Official Miltos Manetas website
- Art website created by Manetas
- Neen website
- Mark Glaser's article in the NYT, Aug. 9, 2001
- Matthew Mirapaul's article in the NYT, Mar. 4, 2002
- Elizabeth Hayt's article in the NYT, Jun. 18, 2000.
- The man from Neen - Salon.comSalon.comSalon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, Mar. 21, 2002 - Web watch, Sean Dodson, The Guardian, 21 March 2002