386 DX is performance art, it is a program built by an artist to perform songs in the streets. If art is defined as an expression of creativity usually in a visual or interactive format then the busking computer fits into that as it was built with a creative vision in mind to perform for its audiences.

The creator of 386 DX, Alexei Shulgin, was born in Moscow, Russia in 1998 and died in 2013. He started off working in the field of photography. He also taught photography and art at the United Art Workshops. Alexei Shulgin founded the “Immediate Photography” group in 1998, and the Moscow WWWArt Centre in 1995. His web creations include: the electronic photo gallery “Hot Pictures”, the creation of “Form Art”, “386 DX”, and introduced his website Easy Life.

It's interesting to see how an artist typically works with different mediums before they find their niche. For Alexei he started with traditional art such as photography, then cinematic objects and video. In an interview with Nettime with Tilman Baumgärtel, he stated “it always was about the language of art, and the role of art and images in society. It was also about recycling images that we already have, because I think that the world is overloaded with images. We have more images than enough, and now there's the question of selection, collection and distribution”. To many creators I believe this reigns true that we often see a lot of the same style in photography and on the internet we are reminded of this. Sometimes it's difficult to express something that isn't considered popular in society especially if you are trying to distribute lots of it. Alexei makes a very interesting point that still makes sense 26 years later.

Aesthetics is a core design principle that defines a design's pleasing qualities. In visual terms, aesthetics includes factors such as balance, color, movement, pattern, scale, shape and visual weight. Designers use aesthetics to complement their designs' usability, and so enhance functionality with attractive layouts. It’s central to the fields of architecture, graphic design and more. As a vital ingredient in user experience (UX) design and interaction design, aesthetics impacts an interface’s UX in several ways. Humans are hard-wired for visual input, and users’ first impressions typically form in 50 milliseconds – as their gut reactions guide them to either continue using your design/product or abandon it. Alexei Shulgin took a formalist aesthetic approach to the 386 DX, it was something you could interact with and listen to. Whether the AI tone was pleasing or displeasing it definitely got attention.

There are many different aspects to the web that represent the medium it is. For instance, the web is developed and created through coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript which are utilized to create the presentation of a page or provide interactive features. You must understand the network component and create something that you can interact with. Using the web to create art or “Net-Art” includes all the technical aspects and is driven by your own aesthetic and purpose. The web has completely taken over how we go about our daily lives. It's how we construct new relationships with people and it's become such an important outlet for artistic creation. With Rhizome launching their exhibition called “The Art Happens Here” at “The New Museum” in New York City is where we can see Net-Artwork such as Alexei Shulgin’s 386 DX. A computer programmed to become the “First Cyberpunk Band” that plays music through a language of code based on the keys you play on the keyboard. The web as a medium is based on how far we can tinker with and explore these technological advancements that are created for the world to develop something our own minds can share and have others interact with.