Fred Forest

For the first time a virtual work of art is for sale at Drouot.
The "Parcelle/Réseau" is an absolute digital work of art.

The work is for sale on October 16th at Drouot
(14 :30, room 7 ; phone : 1 - 42 65 79 50)
by the auctioneer Maître Binoche.
The work will be visualised during the auction
on a computer which will be connected to the Internet.

The work is indexed and signed by its author the artist Fred Forest. This sale at auction is an historic and symbolic event at the same time, transmitted over the Internet in real time by IMAGINET, which is the associated provider. This is the first time ever that a virtual work of art it for sale at a public auction. Fred Forest is organising on that same day, at 19 00 a conference at ISEA (5 avenue de l'Opéra, 75001, Paris - phone : 1-42 65 79 50) concerning his artistic work, new media, and the Aesthetics of Communication movement. Authenticated by Maître Binoche, this buyer of this work will receive a sealed envelope by Maître Binoche, signed by the artist, which contains the secret access code to the work on the Internet. The owner has the choice to keep this code in secret in order to enjoy the work in privacy, or he can inform press and other media about the access code, which allows that the work can be seen by the whole Internet community. The owner can also sell prints of the work as Fred Forest resigns to all his right concerning the work. The work will be shown at the Foire International d'Art Contemporain (F.I.A.C.) at the stand F32bis of the Institut des Etudes Supérieures de l'Art (I.E.S.A.) beginning at the 2nd of October 1996. In the past Maître Binoche, known for his interest in contemporary avant garde art, has already collaborated with Fred Forest on the sale of : " Video-portrait of a collector in real time " (1974), " The artistic square meter " (1978), "The lost work of art " (1990). Each one of these sales, events, has been largely covered by media. The sale at auction of this work " Parcelle/réseau ", is part of the work of the artist in a wider sense and a logical step from the event " Territory " and later " Network Territory " which can be seen at http://www.monaco.mc/exhib/territories, and which was presented at the gallery Pierre Nouvion in Monaco as part of the Imagina Festival 1996. This provocation merits not only that one asks questions about forms and methods of artistic creativity related to new communication technologies, but also questions about economic models and models of distribution in regard to an art market of the 21st century which still has to be invented...

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