HTML is the standard markup language used to describe the structure and content of web pages, and it appears as a basic building block of web-based artworks. Rather than functioning only as a technical layer for display, HTML is used as a medium of expression itself. In Leander Herzog’s 《Downloads》, for example, the artist does not rely on Canvas, a common browser-based drawing method, but instead programmatically animates primitive HTML tags to create movements that are minimal yet complex. In 0xhaiku’s work, only the deprecated marquee tag from the HTML standard is used to produce animation, making the behavior of specific tags and their dependence on browser specifications part of the artwork’s meaning.
Within this context, HTML is both the foundational layer that supports web expression and a mutable, fragile material whose appearance and behavior can change depending on the tag used and the environment in which it runs. In exhibitions focused on the web as a primary medium, HTML is positioned as an essential component of code-based art, enabling works that are shaped by the logic of the browser and the conventions of the web.