ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Icono & Cie: Bridging Virtual Gallery and Contemporary Art

digital · 2026-04-23

A 1997 article from artpress discusses the concept of 'virtual gallery' and presents the unique position of Icono & Cie, a French collective. The term 'virtual gallery' typically refers to using the Internet as a platform for established physical-world practices, such as selling and distributing tangible artworks. However, Icono & Cie adopts an original stance: neither technophobic nor technophile, it creates a space between electronic art and contemporary art. The collective, composed of Emmanuel Barrault, Mai Tran, Sophie Rostain, and Christophe Salaün, plans to simultaneously develop commercial websites to fund their experimental activities.

Key facts

  • Icono & Cie is a collective that bridges electronic art and contemporary art.
  • The collective includes Emmanuel Barrault, Mai Tran, Sophie Rostain, and Christophe Salaün.
  • They plan to run commercial websites to finance experimental work.
  • The article was published in artpress in October 1997.
  • The term 'virtual gallery' often means using the Internet for physical art sales.
  • Icono & Cie's position is neither technophobic nor technophile.

Entities

Artists

  • Emmanuel Barrault
  • Mai Tran
  • Sophie Rostain
  • Christophe Salaün

Institutions

  • Icono & Cie
  • artpress

Sources