Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Berlin and Tokyo--in a short space of time 
seven artists scattered about the world wove a "Renga" session in which 
each artist succeeds in making an individual statement. 

The legendary cow is brought to life in an image of past and future, 
light and darkness in the initial work by Holly Lee, the subject of which 
Toshihiro Anzai takes on a vivid inner journey. In a play on words, 
Pascal Schmitt's meanderings pose a riddle that sets a tiger loose in a 
labyrinth to which Rieko Nakamura answers with a beautiful graphic 
puzzle. Personal and national characteristics are revealed in each of 
these excellent works. 

Experiencing the story that surfaces is alone enjoyable, but Renga's real 
beauty and interest lies in the relay of imagery undergoing metamorphosis 
daily over the Net. Just like the image of the calf that Holly Lee set 
free running about the pastures, a theme is apt to be lost appearing here 
and there, yet it retained cohesiveness. 

Unanticipated accidents also surfaced--communications between artists on 
holiday whose access numbers changed daily, recomposing partitioned data 
due to incompatible encoding, and so on. Needless to say these hardships 
naturally elevate the tension level of session . . . .

Colliding with the energy that emerges in playing catch with creativity, 
time/space/nationality/language differences posing no obstacle, Net art 
is dynamically and intimately developed.

"Virtual" may well be a familiar word, but the originators of Renga and 
coordinators of this session, Rieko Nakamura and Toshihiro Anzai present 
future form 21st century electronic information network age "real" 
communication, here and now.

Translated by: Pamela Virgilio