💾Digital Art Preservation Unit 7 – Case Studies in Digital Art Preservation

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Digital art encompasses a wide range of artistic works created using digital technologies, including computer-generated imagery, digital painting, interactive installations, and web-based art
• Preservation refers to the processes and strategies employed to maintain the longevity, integrity, and accessibility of digital artworks over time
• Emulation involves recreating the original hardware and software environment of a digital artwork to ensure its functionality and appearance remain intact
• Migration is the process of transferring digital artworks from obsolete hardware or software to newer, compatible systems to maintain their accessibility
• Metadata plays a crucial role in digital art preservation by providing essential information about the artwork, such as its creator, date of creation, technical specifications, and conservation history
• Authenticity is a critical concern in digital art preservation, as it ensures that the preserved artwork remains true to the artist's original vision and intent
• Interactivity is a key feature of many digital artworks, presenting unique challenges in preservation as it involves preserving not only the artwork itself but also the user experience and engagement

Historical Context of Digital Art Preservation

• The emergence of digital art in the latter half of the 20th century coincided with rapid advancements in computer technology, leading to the development of new artistic mediums and practices
• Early digital artworks often relied on specific hardware and software, making them vulnerable to obsolescence as technology evolved
• The transient nature of digital media, such as floppy disks and CD-ROMs, posed significant challenges to the long-term preservation of digital artworks
• The rise of the internet in the 1990s introduced web-based art, which presented new preservation challenges due to its reliance on external links, plugins, and dynamic content
• Institutions and organizations, such as the Variable Media Network and the Guggenheim Museum, began to recognize the need for digital art preservation strategies in the early 2000s
• The development of emulation and migration techniques in the late 1990s and early 2000s provided new avenues for preserving digital artworks
• The establishment of dedicated digital art conservation labs and initiatives, such as the Matters in Media Art project, marked a significant milestone in the field of digital art preservation

Challenges in Preserving Digital Art

• Rapid technological obsolescence poses a significant threat to digital artworks, as hardware and software become outdated and incompatible with newer systems
• The complex interdependencies between hardware, software, and data in digital artworks make preservation a multifaceted challenge
• Many digital artworks rely on proprietary software or custom-built hardware, which can be difficult to maintain or recreate in the future
• The interactive nature of some digital artworks requires preserving not only the artwork itself but also the user experience and engagement, adding an additional layer of complexity
• The lack of standardized preservation formats and protocols for digital artworks can hinder the development of effective preservation strategies
• Copyright and intellectual property issues can complicate the preservation process, as obtaining permissions and licenses for proprietary software and hardware can be challenging
• The sheer volume and diversity of digital artworks created in recent decades present logistical and resource challenges for institutions and conservators

Case Study 1: Early Digital Art Preservation

• The Erl King (1982-85) by Charles Csuri, one of the earliest examples of computer-generated art, was preserved through a combination of emulation and migration strategies
  • The original software used to create the artwork, Paint System, was emulated using a custom-built software environment
  • The artwork's data was migrated to newer file formats to ensure its long-term accessibility
• The Guggenheim Museum's preservation of Grahame Weinbren and Roberta Friedman's The Erl King (1983-1986) interactive video installation involved recreating the original hardware and software components
  • The museum collaborated with the artists and technical experts to document the artwork's functionality and user experience
  • Custom hardware, including a modified touch-sensitive monitor, was fabricated to replicate the original installation
• The Variable Media Network, founded in 2001, developed a framework for preserving media art by focusing on the artwork's behavior and intent rather than its specific technical components
  • The network's approach emphasized collaboration between artists, conservators, and technicians to develop preservation strategies tailored to each artwork
  • The Variable Media Questionnaire was created as a tool for documenting artists' intentions and preferences for the future presentation and preservation of their work

Case Study 2: Web-Based Art Conservation

• Olia Lialina's My Boyfriend Came Back from the War (1996), a seminal work of net art, was preserved through a combination of web archiving and emulation techniques
  • The artwork's original website was captured using web archiving tools, preserving its content and structure
  • An emulated version of the artwork was created to ensure its functionality and interactivity remain accessible in the future
• The Rhizome ArtBase, an online archive of digital art founded in 1999, has been at the forefront of web-based art conservation
  • The ArtBase uses a combination of web archiving, emulation, and migration strategies to preserve works of net art and other web-based artworks
  • Rhizome's Webrecorder tool allows users to create interactive, high-fidelity recordings of web pages and online artworks, preserving their functionality and user experience
• The Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) conservation of Petra Cortright's VVEBCAM (2007) involved collaborating with the artist to develop a preservation strategy that maintained the artwork's integrity
  • The artwork's original website was archived using web crawling tools, capturing its content and structure
  • MoMA worked with the artist to create a software-based emulation of the artwork, ensuring its interactivity and user experience remain accessible in the future

Case Study 3: Interactive Installation Preservation

• The conservation of Felix Gonzalez-Torres' "Untitled" (Public Opinion) (1991), an interactive candy installation, required balancing the artist's intent with the practical challenges of preserving perishable materials
  • The artwork consists of a pile of individually wrapped candies that viewers are encouraged to take, gradually diminishing the sculpture over time
  • The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) worked closely with the artist's estate to develop a preservation protocol that allowed for the periodic replenishment of the candy while maintaining the artwork's conceptual integrity
• The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's (SFMOMA) preservation of Julia Scher's Predictive Engineering (1993-present) involved collaborating with the artist to adapt the installation to new technologies while preserving its core concepts
  • The artwork, which uses surveillance cameras and monitors to engage viewers in a dialogue about privacy and control, was originally built using analog video technology
  • SFMOMA worked with the artist to migrate the installation to digital video technology, ensuring its continued functionality and relevance in a changing technological landscape
• The Tate's conservation of Olafur Eliasson's The Weather Project (2003) required developing strategies for preserving the installation's immersive experience and visitor engagement
  • The artwork, which recreated the experience of a sunset using a semicircular screen, mist, and mirrors, relied on specific lighting and atmospheric conditions to create its immersive environment
  • The Tate documented the artwork's installation process, visitor interactions, and sensory experience through video recordings, photographs, and visitor surveys, creating a comprehensive record of the work's impact and reception

Preservation Strategies and Best Practices

• Developing a clear understanding of the artist's intent and the artwork's core concepts is essential for informing preservation decisions and strategies
• Collaborating with artists, technicians, and other stakeholders throughout the preservation process ensures that the artwork's integrity and authenticity are maintained
• Documenting the artwork's technical specifications, installation process, and user experience through photographs, video recordings, and detailed notes is crucial for future conservation efforts
• Employing a combination of emulation, migration, and reinterpretation strategies, as appropriate, can help ensure the long-term accessibility and functionality of digital artworks
  • Emulation involves recreating the original hardware and software environment of an artwork, allowing it to be experienced as intended by the artist
  • Migration involves transferring the artwork's data to newer, compatible file formats and systems, ensuring its continued accessibility as technology evolves
  • Reinterpretation involves adapting the artwork to new technologies or contexts while preserving its core concepts and intent
• Establishing standardized metadata schemas and preservation formats for digital artworks can facilitate the exchange of information and best practices among institutions and conservators
• Regularly monitoring and assessing the condition of preserved digital artworks is essential for identifying and addressing any issues that may arise over time
• Engaging in ongoing research and development of new preservation technologies and strategies is necessary to keep pace with the rapid evolution of digital art practices

Future Trends and Emerging Technologies

• The increasing use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in digital art presents new challenges and opportunities for preservation, requiring the development of strategies for capturing and preserving immersive experiences
• The rise of blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the art world is introducing new questions around the ownership, authenticity, and preservation of digital artworks
• Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are opening up new possibilities for the analysis, interpretation, and conservation of digital artworks
  • AI-powered tools could potentially assist in the identification and classification of digital artworks, as well as the detection of preservation issues and anomalies
• The development of more robust and standardized emulation platforms, such as the Emulation-as-a-Service (EaaS) framework, could streamline the preservation and access of digital artworks across institutions
• The increasing adoption of cloud-based storage and computing solutions may offer new opportunities for the long-term preservation and dissemination of digital artworks, while also raising questions around data ownership and security
• The growth of collaborative, open-source initiatives in the digital art preservation community, such as the Software Preservation Network and the Digital Art Archive, could foster the sharing of knowledge, tools, and best practices among institutions and conservators
• The continued evolution of digital art practices, such as generative art, interactive installations, and web-based art, will require ongoing research and adaptation of preservation strategies to ensure the long-term viability of these artworks.