UbuWeb is a "a pirate shadow library consisting of hundreds of thousands of freely downloadable

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

artifacts." It offers visual,

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

and sound poetry, expanding to include

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

sound art Sound art is an artistic activity in which sound is utilized as a primary Time-based media, time-based Artistic medium, medium or material. Like many genres of contemporary art, sound art may be interdisciplinary in nature, or be used in Cross-genr ...

mp3 archives. The site was created by poet Kenneth Goldsmith in 1996 to provides web-based educational resources to "a substantial user base." In the book ''Duchamp is my Lawyer: The Polemics, Pragmatics, and Poetics of UbuWeb,'' Goldsmith notes that "it’s hard to say exactly who these users are since we don’t keep tabs on them." In January 2024, UbuWeb announced it was no longer active, posting: "As of 2024, UbuWeb is no longer active. The archive is preserved for perpetuity, in its entirety.". In February 2025 the site resumed its activities, citing the "political changes in America and elsewhere around the world" as a reason to be active again.

Philosophy

UbuWeb was founded in response to the marginal distribution of crucial

material. It remains

non-commercial A non-commercial (also spelled noncommercial) activity is an activity that is not carried out in the interest of Profit (economics), profit. The opposite is Commerce, commercial, something that primarily serves profit interests and is focused on bu ...

and operates on a gift economy. UbuWeb ensures educational open access to out-of-print works that find a second life through digital art reprint while also representing the work of contemporaries. It addresses problems in the distribution of and access to intellectual materials.

Distribution policy

UbuWeb does not distribute commercially viable works but rather resurrects

video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

and textual works through their translation into a digital art web environment - re-contextualising them with current academic commentary and contemporary practice. It houses and distributes freely the entire archive of the

Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine ''Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine'' was an audio cassette magazine publication on cassette active from 1983 to 1993. Originally intended as a subscription bimonthly, it was launched on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to create an avant-guard med ...

project. In 2020, Kenneth Goldsmith wrote in his book ''Duchamp Is My Lawyer: The Polemics, Pragmatics, and Poetics of Ubuweb'' that “Perhaps no collection of audio inspired UbuWeb more than the Tellus cassettes….”

Content

Beyond its repository of works, UbuWeb features curated sections including ''/ubu Editions'' book-length editions of contemporary

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

, selected and introduced by the poet Brian Kim Stefans. ''UbuWeb: Ethnopoetics'', curated by Jerome Rothenberg, fused the avant-garde with traditional ethnic practices. ''UbuWeb: Papers'' is a series of contextual academic essays. ''UbuWeb:Outsiders'' considers the legitimization of Outsider works and features ''The 365 Days Project'' curated by Otis Fodder.

Infrastructure

UbuWeb is not affiliated to any academic institution, instead relying on alliances of interest and benefiting from bandwidth donations from its partnerships with GreyLodge, WFMU, PennSound, The Electronic Poetry Center, The Center for Literary Computing, and ArtMob.

References

{{reflist

External links

UbuWebUbuWeb Mirror Site
*

Damon Krukowski Damon Krukowski (born September 6, 1963) is an American musician, poet and writer. He was a member of the dreampop band Galaxie 500 and the psychedelic rock band Magic Hour (band), Magic Hour, and is half of the psychedelic folk duo Damon & Naomi ...

"Free Verses: Kenneth Goldsmith and UbuWeb"
'' Artforum'', March 2008 *Kenneth Goldsmith
"UbuWeb Wants to be Free"
*Kenneth Goldsmith

Experimental film Internet properties established in 1996 American literature websites Non-profit organizations based in the United States Art websites Audiovisual ephemera Arts organizations established in 1996