Sleep Mode: The Art of the Screensaver Exhibition Opens at Het Nieuwe Instituut

An exhibition titled 'Sleep Mode. The Art of the Screensaver' curated by artist Rafaël Rozendaal opens at Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam on January 27. The show transforms 26 iconic screensavers—such as flying toasters, 3D pipes, and Windows logos—into large projections, celebrating the creative experimentation of these now-obsolete digital artifacts. Originally designed to prevent burn-in on CRT monitors from the late 1970s, screensavers became a canvas for video, animation, and software art. Rozendaal, a central figure in new media art, brings these anonymous works into focus, prompting reflection on digital aesthetics and overlooked creators. The project's website features many of the screensavers on display, along with rare interviews with their authors and a collection of articles from the 1980s and 1990s.