Net.art, so what? As the internet is no longer attractive as a label of cutting-edgeness, it is not only young entrepreneurs who are fighting for their livelihood, but also those who were always less out for the hype than for the actual possibilities of new media and technologies. The pioneers of the internet art scene too, can feel that the golden years are over, as the attention economy is no longer interested in their work, apart from some anecdotes from the times of mailboxes and 2400-kilobit-modems.

Without any doubt, the Ney York based project THE THING belongs to those pioneers of net culture. Founded as a bulletin board system (BBS) in 1991, it can meanwhile be considered as an institution of net.art - and has all the problems of a historical monument. Fundings are being cut, and the attempt to build up an internet service provider as a commercial branch, that is financing the art space THING, alway is in danger to raise more problems than money.

On thursday, june 21st 2001, METABOLICS//STOFFWECHSEL#6 will host WOLFGANG STAEHLE, founder of THE THING international, to talk about the present, past and future of one of the most important online- and offline-forums for net.art.