A Night watch (Éjjeli Őrjárat) was Hungary’s first online-only art periodical, running from 1996 to 1999 edited by Ágnes Eperjesi, Attila Horányi, Attila Nemes, Ferenc Szijj, Katalin Timár, László Tölgyes, Imre Weber. Its title borrowed from Rembrandt’s famous 1642 painting, reflecting both its nocturnal origins and the collaborative nature of its production. As editor Ágnes Eperjesi explained, “We chose the name Nightwatch because, at the time, one could only connect to the internet through landlines, and browsing was feasible during late-night hours.” The name also referenced the editors’ voluntary, after-hours work and the prolonged uploading times that often felt like an act of vigilant “night watching.” Described as an “Artistic net-periodical. A constantly evolving still life. A marketplace of ideas, images, and news,” the platform combined creative experimentation with interactive and community-based projects. Its collaborative ethos extended from its early development, which included workshops where artists and programmers worked together, to its editorial process, involving a seven-member volunteer team. Partnering with SZTAKI (Institute for Computer Science and Control) since 1994, the project exemplified a public-art approach, treating the internet as a shared space where art could engage audiences and evolve through collective input, breaking new ground for digital and artistic collaboration.
URL: http://old.sztaki.hu/providers/nightwatch/impress/index.html
Bibliography:
Barkóczi Flóra: Képzőművészet és kollektivitás a korai magyar interneten. Az Artpool, a C3 és az Éjjeli Őrjárat 1990-es évekbeli weblapja és tevékenysége. IN: Tófalvy Tamás, ed. A magyar internet történetei. Budapest: Typotex Kiadó, 2021. 161–73.[url]
netartdothu (beta) 