The theory of networks and networking has provided radical new insights into the underlying processes of nature, economy, and society. The Web of Life project was conceived as a multi-disciplinary project that conjoins art and science to give form and expression to this important new realm of understanding. The project consists of three components: a book titled The New Web of Life: the Art of Networked Living, a large scale distributed interactive artwork, and a web site.

Formulated by the writer Michael Gleich and artist Jeffrey Shaw in 2002/03, the project was sponsored by the Aventis Foundation and was created and produced at the ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe by a prominent team of artists, designers, architects, scientists, and technicians.

The distributed nature of the artwork allows it to manifest in numerous interconnected locations worldwide, while the book and Web site the project to an even greater public audience.