THE THING is a social network, made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of expert knowledge. From this social hub, THE THING has built an exceptional array of programs and initiatives, in both technological and cultural networks. It’s widely recognized as one of the founding and leading online centers for new media culture. During its first five years, became widely recognized as one of the founding and leading online centers for new media culture. Its activities include hosting artists’ projects and mailing lists as well as publishing cultural criticism.
THE THING’s multimedia lab has regularly hosted a variety of artists, including Vuk Cosic, Sebastian Luetgert, Nick Crowe, Prema Murty, Daniel Pflumm, Heath Bunnting, Beat Streuli and Mariko Mori. THE THING has also organized many events and symposia on topics ranging from the state of new media arts to intellectual property issues and the preservation of online privacy.