Runme.org (2003 – Present)
Runme.org is a group project I’ve worked on since 2003 – though we were most active from 2003-2005. Back then, software art seemed like a niche activity practiced by a few geeks and art geeks – and of interest to not many more. Now we see this kind of stuff popping up everywhere from Twitter memes to the New York Times. So I think it’s interesting to reflect on its history (which actually predates Runme.org by several decades.) As we explained it on the Runme website:
Runme.org is a software art repository, launched in January 2003. It is an open, moderated database to which people are welcome to submit projects they consider to be interesting examples of software art.
Software art is an intersection of two almost non-overlapping realms: software and art. It has a different meaning and aura in each. Software art gets its lifeblood and its techniques from living software culture and represents approaches and strategies similar to those used in the art world.
Software culture lives on the Internet and is often presented through special sites called software repositories. Art is traditionally presented in festivals and exhibitions.
Software art on the one hand brings software culture into the art field, but on the other hand it extends art beyond institutions.
Runme.org is a collaborative and open project that was developed by Amy Alexander, Florian Cramer, Matthew Fuller, Olga Goriunova, Thomax Kaulmann, Alex McLean, Pit Schultz, Alexei Shulgin, and The Yes Men. In summer 2003 Hans Bernhard and Alessandro Ludovico have joined the expert team.
Runme.org website is conceptualized and administrated by Amy Alexander, Olga Goriunova, Alex McLean and Alexei Shulgin. It is developed by Alex McLean.
