Since the rise of the PC and the internet, there's been an entire shift in the way we work, socialise, learn, date and entertain. The utopian ideals of the early internet, globalised access to knowledge and culture have splintered. With the rise of AI and an increased awareness of both the environmental impacts and omnipresent observation of everything we do, new generations of artists on the internet are returning to web craft and zine-making.
Using handmade and DIY techniques with web tools like Shrimp Zine and Downpour, artists are building communities at a small scale which are sometimes fandoms, often political, but always personal. Connection Established maps a history of online communities, inviting you to add your own to the wall and explore a selection of zines about internet culture and digital folklore.
Web craft: an interview with Daniel Murray
Building on Valentina Tanni’s reflections on digital aesthetics and nostalgia, this conversation brings together Kendal Beynon and Daniel Murray (Melonking), a key figure in the revival of DIY webcraft. As the creator of MelonLand, a thriving hub for sharing and exploring the handmade web, Murray offers insights into community-building amid an internet shaped by algorithmic feeds and AI content. The discussion considers how webcraft reclaims the web as an artistic, human-centred medium.