Like most other things last summer, the 59th Venice Biennale is cancelled in 2020 due to the virus that still disrupts our lives today. At the 49th (2001) Venice Biennale, another virus spread from the Slovenian Pavilion. Biennale.py; both a computer virus and a work of art created by 0100101110101101 (Eva and Franco Mattes) with de hackers group Epidemic. The Slovenian Pavilion at the Biennale’s physical space displayed two computers that infected each other reciprocally with the virus, which was readable from a large banner. The code of the virus written by Epidemic consists of computer code and natural language, giving rise to an executable program while still bearing semantic value. The work spread online too, was printed on T-shirts and recorded on CD-ROMs given to visitors. The spread of the infection, both online and print of the source code served a performative aspect.

^{_{image 1: Installation at the 49th Venice Biennale. image 2: Biennale.py source code.}}

^{_{To download you must turn your antivirus off}}

Eva and Franco Mattes created a spin-off that undergoes an eternal process of infection and disinfection Perpetual Self Dis/Infecting Machine (2001-4).

^{_{image 3: Perpetual Self Dis/Infecting Machines. Hand assembled computer, Biennale.py virus, Windows 2000, anti virus software, plexiglass 70 x 50 x 13 cm}} (https://0100101110101101.org/biennale-py/)