OK! Here we go! Some seriously chunky sites that will keep you glued to your screen - so much information that your computer - or you - might have a nervous breakdown! The kind thing to do to the unsuspecting reader is to gently guide them through a perfectly tuned tunnel on a sensible lateral journey. Well this time hang on to your hats because we are going to immerse you in a general overview of what is out there that leads to loads of information using powerful search engines and a list of sites that will make (some of) you want to frame this page for your office. I hope as a general reference point these sites will help when you can't bear to scramble through all those promotional fliers from arts organisations and the scribbled notes of URLs that come from telephone chats.
The collection starts with very broad search engines that deal with Australian culture generally and then highlights spots that particularly deal with new media. These sites reach around the world and will lead you to the core of arts practice, theory and new media culture (wow what authority!) In part, some of the site's descriptions have been borrowed directly (whose authority?)

Australian Cultural Network
www.acn.net.au
This is a huge resource where you can type in any smell of an event and probably find it. Type in any organisation's name and you will get it -now that is useful! The website is a public access gateway to the rich diversity of Australia's many cultures. It provides a range of search tools to find Australian cultural news, indexed cultural information, cultural organisations and websites, cultural activities and events, and articles on specific topics about Australian history and culture.

Arts Info
www.artsinfo.net.au
The Arts Info database is a comprehensive collection of information on cultural support programs, including business support, grants, gallery space and training programs provided by all levels of Government and non-government organisations. The database currently holds thousands of programs on cultural support and services provided by all levels of Government and non-government organisations.

Rhizome
www.rhizome.org
Rhizome will impress and inform you with consistent elegant conceptual strength. The website is very well organised displaying its deep understanding of the nature of the internet. It is very useful in that it offers an intelligent approach to the medium whereby you can study its structure and view a huge body of work created for the internet. Rhizome.org is a non-profit organisation that presents new media art to the public, fosters communication and critical dialogue about new media art, and preserves new media art for the future.
Rhizome's energies are focused on the Web site. E-mail lists and program events bring people together to experience and talk about new media art. Together, these services form a platform for a global community of people who share an interest in the intersection of contemporary art and emerging technologies. The Rhizome.org community is geographically dispersed, and includes artists, curators, writers, designers, programmers, students, educators and new media professionals. Their community spans 75 countries and five continents.

ANAT
www.anat.org.au
ANAT describe themselves as Australia's peak network and advocacy body for artists working with technology. The role of ANAT is to advocate, support and promote the arts and artists in the interaction between art, technology and science, nationally and internationally. Their links are an excellent resource for anyone wanting to search out new media links. The membership list provides links to all members' URLs which is a useful way to overview practice in Australian new media.

fineArt forum
www.fineartforum.org
fineArt forum's primary mission is to inform the new media arts and technology community worldwide of the latest events, developments and opportunities in this field. fineArt forum explores the relationship between the arts, sciences and technology and serves the community of creative personnel on both sides of the 'two cultures' with news and information to assist and enable their work. The e-zine was first online in 1987 which would position it as one of the longest running sites of its kind in the world

Running out of space, but take a look at Canon Art Lab's artists' projects www.canon.co.jp/cast/artlab/netArtProjects/
" The Whitney Biennial www.whitneybiennial.org
" For a taste of work from Hong Kong, curated Internet Art project, Videotage www.videotage.org.hk
" and of course don't forget MAAP! www.maap.org.au the site rebuild for MAAP2000.

Kim Machan

Kim Machan is curator, producer and festival director of MAAP- Multimedia
Art Asia Pacific in Brisbane, and director of the series of ArtRage artists' videos on ABC television