Conserving and archiving media art
In May 2010, LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial held the 1st International Symposium on Media libraries and Archives for the 21st Century. This paper will discuss some of the conclusions of the symposium. The purpose of a digital art archive is to preserve artistic digital culture and facilitate public access to it. Surrounded by a constellation of data, the challenge for institutions is to introduce order and explain context. Therefore, protocols and ethical codes must be set out that define what will be archived, keeping in mind that “every decision in the archiving process involves taking a position, which is often a reflection of the principles of the institution.” This involves a “conscious historicisation” of archived content. This not only safeguards digital art for future generations but helps establish and disseminate digital art practices in the present. This goal can be achieved through a combination of conservation and documentation strategies. An archive needs a “correct balance between bricks and electrons.” A digital archive provides universal access, but a physical archive allows one to see works in their original state and provides a place to meet face to face. The problem facing digital art archives is the “global obsolescence” of media.