What do we gain from a website? Since the invention of the internet, websites have been used by a wide variety of people. From blogs that share personal experiences or thoughts to markets that sell clothes or food, many different kinds of spaces have been created within the online environment. People who use their own websites construct spaces that correspond to their individual purposes. In that case, what is a website for an artist?
This will also vary depending on the type of art the artist practices. For instance, an architect might create a website for their architectural studio in order to receive commissions, while also presenting their portfolio to show their architectural style. A musician might use a website to provide information or promotion about their performance schedule or music releases. A fine artist might display their portfolio in order to receive exhibition invitations. This difference may simply depend on the form of art they practice, but it may vary even more depending on the purpose for which they use that space. In this website analysis series, I will examine various artists’ websites and consider how their structure changes depending on the type of art they practice or their purpose. I will also discuss hidden details within the sites, as well as the strengths and weaknesses I perceive.
The first website I will examine is that of the Swiss artist Zimoun. Zimoun is an artist who works across music and installation art, primarily based in sound art. Through motors, objects attached to them, and materials that resonate sound, he creates soundscapes.
When entering his website for the first time, a video of approximately twenty minutes appears immediately. This video introduces various works by Zimoun and provides an overview of his practice, allowing viewers to obtain comprehensive information about him. This is one of the distinctive features of the website. By presenting the video first, people who have no prior knowledge of him can easily understand who he is and what kind of work he produces.
Once the video is closed, the user is guided to the first page of the website. His name and a range of installation works immediately come into view. Interestingly, there is no “Home” section on his website. This appears to be quite a rational decision, as it shortens the process of navigating from a homepage to the actual content, which is common on many artists’ websites. Seeing his works immediately on the first page encourages me to explore the website further. This first page is titled “Sound Sculptures & Installations.” Considering that most people come to know him through his installation works, and that installation is the primary form of his practice, this choice seems reasonable.
On this page, four works are displayed in each row, with the installation location and year written beneath each image. Because his installations are not given individual titles, there are no names displayed. However, if the works did have titles, it might be worth reconsidering whether listing both the title and the installation location together would be necessary. Additionally, for some smaller personal works that were not exhibited publicly, he lists the materials used. I find this somewhat unusual. When considering it carefully, this naming convention could create some inconvenience when sharing or referencing the works.
The most interesting aspect I noticed on this page is the arrangement of the works. They are not organized chronologically at all. Generally speaking, the works at the top are large-scale installations that were exhibited publicly, and as one scrolls down, the works become older, smaller in scale, and eventually consist of simpler personal projects. However, since some works from 2025 appear within the personal works section, it seems likely that the works are grouped according to similar contexts or stylistic approaches. Nevertheless, the piece displayed at the very top appears to be his most recent representative work. It also seems that the works that made him well known, or those he personally favors, are placed near the top.
As someone who already appreciates Zimoun’s work, when I see familiar works at the very beginning, it naturally encourages me to scroll further down. It is also interesting to discover works I did not previously know about, along with his smaller projects. This method of arrangement clearly has advantages. However, I also feel that it could create some inconvenience when someone wants to share or reference a specific work or exhibition.
When clicking on an image of a work, it enlarges and allows the viewer to see either a video or more detailed photographs. The videos are short, usually between ten and forty seconds. This is likely because the installations themselves are based on repetition, meaning there is little need for long videos. By selecting only the essential moments to show, the work becomes easier for viewers to understand. Additionally, if every piece were presented through video, the page would likely take much longer to load. From a technical and intuitive perspective, this is a good decision, as it avoids causing inconvenience for visitors navigating the site.
Another page on the website is “Audio Releases.” This section differs from the previous one in that the albums are arranged chronologically. Each entry includes the album title, composer, release year, duration, release medium, number of channels (stereo), label, and platform. At first glance, one might wonder whether this amount of information is necessary on the main page. However, it does not feel distracting, and it actually makes it easy to notice changes in labels or the presence of collaborations at a glance. In this section, five albums are displayed per row. Personally, it feels slightly crowded, and I wonder whether a little more spacing might have improved the layout.
When clicking on an album, more detailed information about the contributors involved in the production appears on the left side, while a simple video displaying the album cover plays on the right. I find this approach more engaging than simply allowing people to listen to the tracks through a standard playback bar. The videos are always shorter than the total album length listed. Although I have not listened to all of them yet, it seems likely that unnecessary or overly repetitive sections were removed when creating the videos.
The third page is “Biography & CV.” This is where visitors can obtain information about the artist, including where he has exhibited, the kind of art he produces, and the activities he has undertaken. At the very top, there is a short quote describing him, followed by a list of venues where he has exhibited. While placing a quote at the top is a good idea, I personally do not particularly like that the list of exhibition venues comes immediately afterward. It makes me feel less inclined to scroll further, and even if I do, I feel less motivated to read the content below.
Below this list, there is a photograph of his face. I think it is generally beneficial for artists to include a photograph—unless, of course, you are someone like Banksy. Seeing a face makes it easier to perceive the artist as a person. Often, an artist’s works become more widely known than their face. As a result, we sometimes know someone’s works and name without ever knowing what they look like, which can create a sense of distance. However, encountering their face within a CV section tends to make them feel more human and approachable.
Below the photograph is his formal CV. The fact that it is written in the third person makes it feel slightly more professional. This may also give the impression that someone else has analyzed or written about him through his work. Finally, his biography appears at the bottom. One might question whether this section is strictly necessary, but there is certainly no harm in including it. A particularly good choice he made was organizing the biography according to different types of activities and working methods. This makes it easy to understand the overall scope of his practice. If I were someone trying to invite him for a project or exhibition, this information would likely be very useful in approaching him.
The next page is “Next Exhibition.” This section briefly lists upcoming exhibitions, including where they will take place, what will be presented, and when they will occur. It also includes links that lead directly to the websites of the exhibition venues. For someone like me who would like to see his exhibitions, this page is extremely useful. I certainly would not want to miss an exhibition if he happened to come to the area where I live.
The following page is “Studio Bern,” which contains photographs of his working studio. At first glance, I wondered whether this was really necessary. However, as a student who produces similar types of installation works, I realized that it can actually be very valuable information. Being able to see how the space is organized, how materials are stored, what the resting areas look like, and how documentation is carried out is quite interesting.
Finally, there is the “Newsletter” section. Rather than leading to a separate page, clicking it simply opens a small form where visitors can enter their email address and subscribe to updates. Initially, before clicking it, I assumed it might be a space where news articles about him were posted, but that was not the case. Since people like me may end up clicking it out of curiosity, it does create another opportunity for him to introduce himself to more people. Although I am not entirely sure whether it is necessary, it is not a bad feature.
At the bottom of the website, his name, address, email, and links to Vimeo and Instagram appear in small and faint text.
I was quite surprised to discover so many detailed elements within such a minimalist website. These are details that I might not have noticed if I had not sat down to analyze the site carefully. However, for casual visitors, these elements subtly allow them to absorb more information about him and guide their actions unconsciously. In this sense, his website has clear strengths. Although it is somewhat disappointing that there are no detailed explanations for each work, considering the intuitive nature of his practice, this choice is understandable. When I eventually create my own website, I will need to think carefully about whether and how such explanations should be provided. Perhaps by examining other artists’ websites, I will gain a better understanding.
In any case, this concludes my first website analysis. Next, I will examine other artists who work in similar ways and see how their approaches differ from his, and which methods I personally find more appealing.