Digital Arts Study Collection

The Digital Arts Study Collection includes over 50 early and important examples of internet-based art created between 1993 to 2003. The Walker began collecting digital art, or “new media,” with the 1998 acquisition of the groundbreaking site äda ‘web. The site includes 28 works by artists, including Vivien Selbo, Julia Scher, Doug Aitken, and Lawrence Weiner. Commissioned by the Walker’s New Media department, other collected works include those by Beth Stryker and Sawad Brooks, Piotr Szyhalski, and Natalie Bookchin. The collection was originally housed in Gallery 9, a virtual exhibition space on the Walker’s website that is now defunct. Today, the artworks are being preserved with the help of Rhizome.org, a digital arts preservation organization. (link)

In 2024, Rhizome.org restored the äda ‘web site through emulation technology. It is currently working on restoring other works in Gallery 9, with the goal of having all digital works preserved and available through the Rhizome portal.