In light of the new policies for content creators on YouTube, there have been many debates and controversy over these new rules. Is it okay for internet platforms to control what their creators upload online? Since the internet has become a more popular location for artists and creators alike to upload their work, these questions have often been brought up.

In the 90s free speech and freedom of the press became part of the hype again. Riding off of the new waves of punk and riot grrl movements, many artists wanted to find a way to help upload and save their work online so more people could access and view many different types of art. Many were put at a setback, however, because of content control trolling the internet.

Online since 1996, artist Mark Tribe founded the site Rhizome. Tribe created a safe space for contemporary art and an online site for artists everywhere to share, discuss and collect a vast amount of online artwork. Some of the first artists to ever work online can still be found archived under Rhizome’s extensive database.

Personally, I can spend (or waste) hours on this website. Whether you’re an artist looking for inspiration or just a personal collector that’s searching for rare online artists, Rhizome is the best site to do so. It’s a great website for personal use, and it’s extremely admirable for an organization to collect the art of censored or unique artists.