Recently Commissioned or Completed Media Art
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Media art currently displayed in a gallery or in the process of being displayed. |
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Digital Species: Media Art |
Trend in 2023:
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Consensus Decision |
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Added to List: 2019 |
Trend in 2024:
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Previously: Vulnerable |
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Imminence of Action Action is recommended within twelve months, detailed assessment is a priority. |
Significance of Loss The loss of tools, data or services within this group would impact on many people and sectors. |
Effort to Preserve | Inevitability It would require a small effort to preserve materials in this group, requiring the application of proven tools and techniques. |
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Examples Media art recently acquired by galleries that utilize specific hardware and software in order to be accessed or exhibited. |
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‘Endangered’ in the Presence of Aggravating Conditions Lack of documentation to enable maintenance; Uncertainty over IPR or the presence of orphaned works; complex interdependencies on specific hardware, software or operating systems; lack of capacity in the gallery or workshop; lack of strategic investment; complex external dependencies; lack of documentation about artist intent; lack of understanding of costs for display and preservation. |
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‘Lower Risk’ in the Presence of Good Practice Strong documentation; clarity of preservation path and ensuing responsibilities; proven preservation plan; capacity of workshop to support artwork at de-installation; capacity of gallery to conserve after de-installation; capacity of gallery to re-install work; funding understood to re-install. |
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2023 Review This entry was added in 2019 as a separate entry, but it was previously introduced in 2017 under ‘Media Art’ with particular reference to historical media art. It was added for greater specificity for its recommendations, to represent works acquired and commissioned in the last five years where there is a reasonable expectation that documentation has been produced or could still be obtained. While the 2020 Jury found no change in trend, the 2021 Jury discussed how prospects for long-term preservation depend entirely on whether the artwork is collected post-commission and by an organization with the resources to care for it. They agreed that the classification remains Vulnerable but with a trend towards greater risk because the imminence of action is time-sensitive, requiring working with the artist to get the documentation from them about their work and what is needed before it is too late. Furthermore, there remains a vulnerability for the smaller museums or others that do not take the preservation of media art as seriously. The 2023 Council agreed with the Vulnerable classification with overall risks remaining on the same basis as before (‘No change’ to trend), although noted a change in the imminence of action from 3 years to 12 months. |
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2024 Interim Review The 2024 Council agreed These risks remain on the same basis as before, with no significant trend towards even greater or reduced risk (‘No change’ to trend). However, it was important to note that the ‘Effort to Preserve | Inevitability’ can vary. Some of the works take a huge effort to preserve and that perhaps this needs some middle ground in terms of communicating those aspects. |
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Additional Comments By the time digital art, time-based media, etc., has entered into the permanent care of a stewarding institution, many of its technologies are already end-of-life, unsupported, or the hardware components have deteriorated. Often the expertise to maintain these many interacting components sits outside the host organization, with a technical supplier to the gallery, and this is in itself vulnerable to business change. Although there are a few exceptions, there is a need for greater capacity within the museum and gallery sector to address the challenges. There have been new initiatives for guidance and examples of institutions taking wider sectoral responsibility for standards, which have helped with the effort to preserve, such as Matters in Media Art information resource and guidance. Media artworks are often made with a network of knowledge that can be precarious. Documentation around production processes can be minimal, and hence acting quickly with known processes can gather information before the knowledge and people networks start to disperse. This can mean preservation of production environments and associated workflows can be preserved alongside the media. Some art works specifically leverage the limitations and characteristics of the systems that they incorporate, often in unusual ways. This can be hard to migrate or emulate accurately. Case Studies or Examples:
See also:
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No Change