Add-Art (2008) is a browser extension that replaces online advertising with art. Instead of banner ads, you see rotating curated art shows.
Created by Steve Lambert with support from Eyebeam and Rhizome. I was one of the open source contributors who helped build and maintain it over the years.
The extension works alongside ad blocking — but instead of leaving blank space where ads were, it fills that space with contemporary art. New art shows were released every two weeks, featuring work selected by emerging and established curators.
How it works
Every time you visit a website with ads, you see art instead. The New York Times, the weather, your email — suddenly your browser becomes a gallery.
Add-Art 2.0
The 2.0 release expanded the project, allowing users to choose between different art sources:
- The Brooklyn Museum
- Eyebeam
- Kadist Foundation
- NASA
- Rhizome
Addendum
Later, with support from Kadist Art Foundation, the project was rebuilt as Addendum — a complete overhaul for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Addendum replaces web ads with visual essays by artists, and lets you create and share your own.
Contributors
The project was built by many open source developers including Steve Lambert, Wladimir Palant, Corey Tegeler, myself, Matt Katz, Ben Bonfil, Tobias Leingruber, Ethan Ham, Michael Mandiberg, Jeff Crouse, Mushon Zer-Aviv, and others.
Links
See also: Center for Artistic Activism