Art Basel’s much-anticipated Zero 10 sector, dedicated to celebrating art of the "digital era," presents a surprisingly analog landscape, defying conventional expectations of screen-centric displays. This year marks Zero 10’s first appearance in Basel, following successful debuts in Miami and Hong Kong, with curators Trevor Paglen and Eli Scheinman aiming to broaden the understanding of what constitutes digital art. The sector’s core thesis, articulated by Paglen, is that a significant portion of art produced in the last two to three decades is inherently digital, even when not immediately apparent. "Every painter is mocking up their shit in Photoshop, every sculptor is making their thing in Blender or whatever. Every photographer, obviously, has a digital process," Paglen stated in an interview with Dazed, highlighting the pervasive influence of digital tools in contemporary artistic creation. The absence of overt screens in many installations is a deliberate curatorial choice, prompting visitors to reconsider the definition of digital art. For instance, Hito Steyerl’s contribution, an installation composed of living plants and recycled glass bottles, might initially be mistaken for a conventional oversized screen. This piece, as described by Paglen, is "beautiful, but when you look at the materials, it’s also pretty apocalyptic. Plants, and AI, and empty beer bottles, the refuse of consumer society," he remarked, underscoring the artwork’s commentary on ecological concerns and the intersection of biological and technological systems. Trevor Paglen, a pioneering artist in his own right, initially expressed reservations about co-curating the sector. However, after reflection, he became convinced of its importance. "I was like, ‘I don’t think so,’ but then I slept on it. I was like, ‘You know, I really care about this stuff.’ And I was thinking about this space, and seeing a lot of ways it could self-destruct, and I had a theory of how to help," he explained. Paglen’s perspective acknowledges the complexities and potential pitfalls of the digital art world, including the prevalence of "bullshit" in the crypto space and the "very well justified" anxieties surrounding AI, while still recognizing the presence of "really interesting artists doing stuff." The curatorial framework for Zero 10 in Basel was structured to ensure a comprehensive exploration of digital art’s history and evolution. This framework stipulated that "one third of the artists had to be dead, one third had to have had solo shows at major museums, and one third had to be cooler, younger artists who are established in a digital space but haven’t had a lot of experience with institutions." This tripartite approach allows for the presentation of foundational works, established contributions, and emerging voices within the digital art landscape. A Historical Perspective: From Algorithmic Drawings to Net Art The Zero 10 sector effectively bridges historical milestones with contemporary expressions of digital art. Visitors are presented with early examples of algorithmic drawing and net art, tracing the lineage of digital creativity back to its origins. These historical works offer a crucial counterpoint to the more recent art produced during the speculative boom and bust cycles of NFTs, as well as pieces that directly capture the nuances of our current digital culture. One such historical figure represented is Harold Cohen, a programmer and artist renowned for creating AARON, an AI system designed to draw and paint autonomously, which he developed from the late 1960s until his death in 2016. Cohen’s presentation at Gazelli Art House features his earlier paintings, which earned him the honor of representing Britain at the 1966 Venice Biennale, displayed alongside artworks generated by AARON itself. This juxtaposition powerfully illustrates the entirety of Cohen’s career and highlights a significant achievement in human-machine collaboration. The dialogue between Cohen’s hand and the algorithmic output of AARON underscores the evolving relationship between human intention and machine execution in artistic creation. Further delving into the historical roots, ArtMeta’s presentation, "Digital Masterpieces: From Code to Canon," emphasizes the intertwined histories of technology and digital art, dating back to the nascent stages of computer art in the 1950s. This exhibition prominently features Rebecca Allen’s "Swimmer" (1981). As one of the few female artists working in this pioneering field at the time, Allen’s work offered a profound exploration of simulated human motion. "Swimmer" represented a cutting-edge inquiry into the evolving relationship between our bodies and the burgeoning technological landscape, a theme that resonates with contemporary concerns about artificial intelligence and human augmentation. The exhibition also touches upon a recurring theme of machine-rendered nudes, including Vuk Ćosić’s ASCII video interpretation of "Deep Throat" and the 1966/7 "Computer Nude," highlighting early explorations of representation and technology. Bridging Eras: Contemporary Explorations of Digital Influence The Zero 10 sector masterfully connects these historical precedents with contemporary artistic practices that engage with digital methodologies and themes. William Mapan, exhibiting at Art Blocks, presents works that appear to build upon the legacy of pioneers like Harold Cohen. Mapan, who is both a painter and a programmer, employs a unique dual approach to his art. He creates many of his paintings by hand, en plein air, but also utilizes a plotter machine loaded with crayons to translate virtual drawings into physical artworks. "Painting and drawing is emotional, programming is logical," Mapan muses, posing the question, "What is in-between?" His "Paysages Plausible" (Plausible Landscapes) at Zero 10 add another layer of ambiguity by presenting imagined natural scenes, drawing inspiration from artists like Cézanne, David Hockney, and Helen Frankenthaler. This fusion of traditional artistic sensibilities with computational processes reflects the blurring lines between the analog and digital in contemporary art. The influence of digital culture on visual representation is a key focus for Avery Singer, whose work "Shit Coin Maxi" (2025) is shown at Hauser & Wirth. Singer layers two images of digital wallets found on Twitter, translating them into acrylic on canvas. The term "shitcoin" refers to low-value or speculative cryptocurrency tokens, often associated with deceptive "pump and dump" schemes. This piece exemplifies one of Zero 10’s aims: to re-contextualize images commonly encountered in the digital realm. Paglen observes, "What happens if you change the context? It would read in a really different way than it would if you looked at it on Twitter." Singer’s work thus sheds new light on the interconnectedness of gambling, finance, and technology, elements that profoundly shape online culture. Challenging Perceptions and Broader Implications The sector also embraces experimental forms of digital art, pushing the boundaries of what is considered a "digital artwork." The forged iron electronic instruments presented, accompanied by video documentation of their blacksmithing process, exemplify this innovative approach. These pieces suggest a re-examination of the materiality of technology and the labor involved in its creation, often obscured by the sleekness of finished digital products. The inclusion of interactive sculptures fashioned from everyday objects like backpacks and lightbulbs further challenges the notion of digital art being solely screen-based. These works invite physical engagement, suggesting that the digital realm can permeate and transform tangible objects, creating new forms of sensory and conceptual experiences. Furthermore, the Zero 10 sector at Art Basel is complemented by a series of "iconoclastic talks" curated by Paglen. These discussions delve into subjects often avoided by the art world, such as the practicalities of artists making a living, the disruption of traditional gatekeeping mechanisms in the digital era, and the potential for a future where human artists are supplanted by AI. These dialogues are crucial for understanding the socio-economic and philosophical implications of digital art’s increasing prominence. The presentation by HEK (Haus der Elektronischen Künste) at Zero 10 showcases several significant works of net art from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s. Visitors can engage with these pieces through a wall-mounted tablet, allowing for interactive experiences. Highlights include Studer/van den Berg’s "Virtual Holiday to the Alps," offering an early example of immersive digital environments, and Jodi’s "Max Payne Cheats Only" (2004), a seminal work in early video game appropriation art. Perhaps the most conceptually provocative piece is UBERMORGEN’s "The Sound of eBay" (2008-9). This work generates music by scraping data from viewers’ chosen eBay accounts, presenting the output as teletext-style advertisements. UBERMORGEN described this as a "high-end, low-tech contribution to the atomic soundtrack of a new shock capitalism," reflecting on the economic and cultural forces at play in the digital age. John Gerrard’s installation at Fellowship further expands the discourse on digital art’s engagement with critical global issues. Three large screens display animated flags rendered in a game engine, with the environments changing over time. Gerrard’s work, developed over nine years, addresses ecological history: one flag emits black smoke at the site of the Lucas Gusher in Texas, symbolizing the first major oil strike; another depicts a fiery scene in the South Pacific near Tonga, a warning of environmental peril; and the third releases a white cloud of water vapor in the Mojave Desert, potentially representing a vision of a cleaner future or a "white flag of surrender." This multi-layered presentation invites contemplation on humanity’s impact on the planet and the potential futures shaped by technological advancement. The inclusion of these diverse works, ranging from early computer-generated art to contemporary pieces that critique digital culture, underscores the expansive and evolving nature of "digital art." The Zero 10 sector at Art Basel serves as a vital platform for reassessing the historical trajectory and the multifaceted present of art created within and influenced by the digital age. As Paglen suggested, the history of digital art is far longer and more complex than commonly perceived, and its definition continues to be a dynamic and contested space. The sector’s success lies in its ability to provoke these critical conversations and broaden the audience’s understanding of this increasingly pervasive artistic domain. Post navigation Miss Sixty Future Denim Lab Awards at CSM
