Software for Artists Book: Untethering the Web

Software for Artists Book #2

by Aria Dean (Primary Contributor), Jenson Leonard (Primary Contributor), Mat Dryhurst (Primary Contributor)

A compendium of creative texts examining our complex and slippery relationships with new technologies What will the internet of the future make possible? Untethering the Web explores the technologies, strategies and anxieties that are coalescing in 2022 to shape a new digital paradigm. As naturalized citizens of today’s always-online world and as survivors of a multiyear pandemic, the need to reform our digital tools and approaches is more pressing than ever before. Evolved models for virtual convening, collective organizing and digital ownership are making this possible, and a reckoning for the platformed web and its monolithic tech giants is beginning to feel imminent―but how will it all unfold, and what new pitfalls will emerge? In conjunction with Pioneer Works’ seventh Software for Artists Day, in October 2022, creators, technologists and members of our community share their visions for a flourishing digital multiverse, and how they imagine it manifesting over time.

128 pages, Paperback

Published December 13, 2022

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked it a lot. felt very topical to my knowledge and want for knowledge about the internet. i enjoyed the hope and skepticism for Web 3 and how we need to look past the cringe of NFTs. I also very much agree with the disdain for making every interaction monetized, so maybe there will be a middle ground. my favorite thing is the notion that we need to take control of the future, to design and speculate on what we want the internet to be. I also like the sentiment of online groups and DAOs.

[Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great series that drives a deeper conversation about the future of the internet and creative uses of technology.

[Ángel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprisingly pleased with this publication. Perhaps only two or three essays or interviews didn't catch my full attention, but I devoured it and recommended it to all my friends.