nobodyhere.com
Jogchem Niemandsverdriet
Dutch artist Jogchem Niemansverdriet has created an extraordinary visual mapping of his own random thoughts, liberally interspersed with tantalising fragments of prose that serve to bracket and enhance the bizarre imagery constantly emerging from the screen.
Filtered through his achingly blunt and often playfully perverse sensibilities, the Flash version of this labyrinthine web experiment is an enticing exercise in fascination and frustration, as his seemingly endless chains of links seduce you into a frenzy of continuous discovery.
'I'd like to apologise for all this.', he states, as his inner world, filled with contemplative musings, perceptive observations, and fretful ravings, flows and twists across the screens in all its warped magnificence. Navigate the pages by clicking on the letter 'I', which leads to a central page where a silhouetted representation of the artist taps away at a computer keyboard, or click on the spirals for a random choice. If you would like to become a part of this work, log in, choose a representative bug avatar, and leave a comment.
Each exploration of a link evokes a new treasure - from a tormented mollusc that voices its desire to break free from its insecurities when thrown against walls, to creeping vines that chase the prostrate silhouette of the artist around the screen.
Niemansverdriet states that he created this site because he likes to express himself through animation, text and programming. The site has been operational since 1998, and has been supported by The Netherlands Foundation for Fine Arts, Design and Architecture since 2000. It featured in the pioneering 'nET affEcTS' exhibition of net.art in Amsterdam in May 2000 as an example of autonomous web works being created in the Netherlands during the early years of the internet.
The evolutionary aspect of this remarkable work, coupled with occasional updates and the fact that each visit always unearths a new perspective, warrants detailed examination and guarantees repeat viewing.
-Rachel Nagy
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