An Example of Conscientious Handling of Time-Based Media Artwork

Abstract

For the past 35 years, the Kunstsammlung des Landes Niederösterreich has been acquiring media art in various formats, such as video sculptures, installations and film. The result of these 35 years of acquisition is a comprehensive and high-quality collection of more than 300 single pieces of art, which includes important representatives of Austrian media art. While media carriers started of being magnetic, such as U-Matic and VHS cassettes, they soon were replaced by optical media such as CDs and DVDs. In recent years, most acquisitions have been in the format of electronic (data) carriers. In our poster, we give an overview of the preservation project of time-based media, including what steps were taken and the details of these steps. Additionally, we answer the question “What were the results concerning the acquisition, registration and preservation?” A special focus of the poster discussion is the issue of copyrights. On one side of this issue are the legal questions that we faced, and on the other side are the priorities of conservation. We bring attention to this seemingly polarized issue. Another focal point is the discourse about the commitment that an institution is able to take on in order to preserve all aspects of a time-based media art. Further, we want to encourage other collections of time-based media art, including those without specialized personnel, to face the challenging and pressing task of preservation.