Ethical considerations and preservation issues

Ethical considerations are at the heart of every intervention undertaken on a work, whether directly or indirectly. A conservator does not necessarily have the time to put on paper the details of the values attributed to the work treated. However, each element of the documentation constitutes a justification of the importance of certain values over others. Conservators are encouraged to specify what characterises a work in a context, to define the values it carries as well as its material condition, in order to be able to determine the necessary intervention for the work. Any intervention, even minimal, will have an impact on the work. In the case of BLOCKS, for example, the migration of the program to a new environment is not without consequences. Although the original version of the work has remained untouched, the migrated version will be the chosen one for a future exhibition. The audience will therefore experience what she can consider being a less authentic version of the artwork.¹³⁷ But in the end, it is very rare that museums openly explain the restorations undertaken on a work. Consequently, the public appreciates the work and if it is the first time they see it, will not question its identity. A work preserved on a museum shelf, in a hard disk or in an archive does not live, does not exist. It exists when it is made visible to the public, or for a moment for a conservator or a student writing a thesis. It is important to focus on two questions: for what, and for whom, was the work created? How to remain faithful to the artist's intentions despite the technological changes that the work is undoubtedly facing?

We have already mentioned the notion of replicas and the different opinions it generates. Despite the many negative points that can be found with this method (the loss of aura being the most important one), it is undeniable that in certain cases, a reproduction allows to offer a second life to a work. For example, thanks to Szakács’s work, BLOCKS can be seen and shared. The work is offered to the public in a new light, with reference to the original and the artist. Szakács participated in the history of the work, feeding it with a new creation. The artist's intention has been preserved through this work and one can clearly discern slowly evolving blocks, changing in size and shape. In the end, the main difference lies in the changing of environments. From a physical location in the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, the work is switched to a screen and in three dimensions. In addition, the blocks also evolve in a new environment since the notion of the movement of the gaze has been added to the Szakács’ version. Here again, this new version raises questions: is it still possible to find the essence of BLOCKS through new versions of the work? How to be as faithful as possible to the integrity and authenticity of the work? What is the purpose, the motivation behind the preservation of a work? Every intervention made on a work will alter its authenticity. The aim is to preserve the work for as long as possible (if not a deliberately ephemeral work). Is it right not to modify a work if this leads to its loss? What would have happened to it if Zalán Szakács had not undertaken to revive the work?

As we have seen, the emphasis was on documentation for the preservation of DISP, BLOCKS and SHFT-34 as well as the desire to provide a long-term solution. However, the interviews with Peter Struycken make us wonder about the place that the artist's intention had during the Transformation Digital Art project. According to Struycken, the visual, aesthetic aspect of his works is of crucial importance, but not so much in the way the works are exhibited or shown to the public, but more in the fact that they remain true to what they originally demonstrated.¹³⁸ For example, in DISP, you forget so quickly the colour that was shown to you two seconds earlier. This will always be the case, no matter whether the work is displayed on a giant screen in a museum, projected, or viewed

137 Engel and Phillips, "Introducing ‘Code Resituation’: Applying the Concept of Minimal Intervention to the Conservation Treatment of Software-Based Art."

138 Struycken, "Interview with Peter Struycken."

through a phone screen. And yet, the work is not actually visible, either on the internet or in an institution.

The influence of stakeholders will play a role in the perception of a work. An artist will not always have the same view of his work as a conservator or curator, as their objectives differ: the artist may wish to see his work exhibited and share his concept, the conservator will wish to preserve the work in the best possible conditions to ensure its visibility for future generations, the curator may wish to exhibit the work in such a way that it will attract a wider audience and thus allow visibility for the artist and the museum. This effect is not new, and the history of heritage preservation shows us that evolution and innovative views can only be beneficial here.

Another interesting point learned through this study is the importance of language in documentation. Indeed, among the information and publications about the artist and his works, a large part was available only in Dutch. This severely restricts access to information and may cause problems in the future for the understanding of the artist's work. The use of English and a common, standardised terminology seems essential. Fortunately, Peter Struycken speaks perfect English, which made it possible to obtain a lot of information about his vision for his works and their preservation. In the future, it will be possible to refer to all the information collected through the TDA project, this thesis or Nina van Doren's thesis. On this basis and in close cooperation with historians, technicians, computer scientists and other professionals, it will be possible to identify the aesthetics and symbolism of Struycken's works as well as possible.¹³⁹

139 Glenn Wharton, "Artist Intention and the Conservation of Contemporary Art," Objects Specialty Group Postprints 22 (2015).

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O N C L U S I O N

The biggest danger that DISP, BLOCKS, SHFT-34 and time-based media artworks in general are facing is the rapid evolution of technology. This problem is well known and much discussed within the contemporary art conservation community. Strategies are being developed and perfected.

Documentation methods and standards are being put in place but are not really followed by all. In the end, if the establishment of standards is difficult for time-based works it is above all because each work is unique and unstable in its own way. Being prepared to meet each work on its own terms is essential. Professor Deena Engel said in an interview with Caitlin Dover, conservator, in 2016 that “the ever-present challenge is ongoing digital innovation and the resulting inherent instability of digital artworks".¹⁴⁰ In contrast to classical conservation strategies, contemporary art strategies create finds for future researchers by including the artist’s intent and the public experience. Conservators went from avoid changes to manage inevitable changes.¹⁴¹ As for software-based art, artworks can sometimes be found in such advanced degradation stages that the strategy to adopt is not anymore to determine what can be preserved but more what should not be lost. ¹⁴² Through this thesis, I intend to support the idea that both conservators and artists need to embrace uncertainty. For the three works discussed here, the objective of the museums, conservators and the artist is the same: avoid the loss of the work through the loss of cultural and historical context.

The study of Struycken's works also confirmed the thought that conservators should always act when the works and programs are in a good condition. Ideally, an artwork will be treated when it is functioning properly in its original technological context. Action can be taken beforehand, in anticipation of future technological changes. Indeed, the work in its version 1.0 provides us with information essential to understand how it works, its exhibition context and its technical and technological needs. Its thorough documentation and maintenance, including good storage conditions and duplication, allows us to consider updating scenarios and to compare the behaviour and aesthetics of the work throughout a decision-making process. The loss of the initial version due to too long a waiting period makes any long-term conservation effort risky in terms of authenticity.

This was the case for DISP, whose source code has been lost forever. However, it is interesting here to go back slightly and ask some questions: what was the original purpose of writing this program?

Doesn't the fact that it was only an experiment for Peter Struycken change the approach to the work? The simplicity of the program means that it would be very easy to rewrite it. Why not do it?

According to LIMA, this would not be of any real interest.¹⁴³ But then, is there really a future for this work?

The same questions can be asked for BLOCKS. SHFT-34 seems less likely to disappear from memory, especially because of the number of copies produced. If the objective is to preserve culture to pass it on to future generations, would it not be necessary today to change our approach to digital artworks? Would it be possible to imagine a world in which the sharing of software-based artworks (through social networks for example) would be the primary objective of museums? This kind of project is beginning to emerge, with applications on phones and websites that allow the public to discover digital art that has remained in the shadows for too long.

140 Dover, "How the Guggenheim and Nyu Are Conserving Computer-Based Art—Part 1".

141 Falcão and Ensom, "Conserving Digital Art."

142 Coalition, "Digital Preservation Handbook, 2nd Edition".

143 Wijers et al., Project Transformation Digital Art. Preservation of Born-Digital Art.

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L O S S A R Y¹⁴⁴

Betacam SP: a professional-grade analog or digital videotape. The digital version is also referred to as “Digibeta.”

Bitstream: The sequence of 1s and 0s passed among computers and input/output devices, typically containing a text message or audiovisual content.

Code: Instructions written in a language a computer can understand and execute. Examples include Java and JavaScript. See also Source code, Object code, Machine code.

Codec: Combination of the words COder and DECoder, creates an encoded video or audio stream (compression of a video file)¹⁴⁵

Compatibility: The ability of one system to work with the standards of other systems. For example, Macintosh operating systems can read Windowsformatted disks, but most versions of the Windows operating system cannot read a Macintoshformatted disk.

Container: Contains all the files needed to playback a video (video stream, audio stream and metadata)¹⁴⁶

Encoded: To say that a work is encoded implies that part or all of it is written in computer code or some other language that requires interpretation (e.g., dance notation). In the case of works with nondigital components, this code can sometimes be archived separately from the work itself.

Format: pertaining primarily to a standard for storing electronic signals or data in a physical medium.

Hardware: pertaining primarily to physical material or equipment.

Linux: An operating system originally authored by Linus Torvalds and developed according to the open source model. The original Linux design combined attributes of Richard Stallman’s free software GNU and the popular UNIX operating system. The latest variants of Linux run on various hardware platforms, including Macintosh and PC.

Metadata: information about other data, including : physical components of a work; technical components of a work; source code; dependencies; artist's intent; significant properties and the usual aspects of conservation documentation: who, what, when, where, why, how.¹⁴⁷

Mac: “Macintosh,” a popular operating system developed in the 1980s by Apple Computers, noted for its graphic interface and ease of use.

JavaScript: A programming language originally developed by Netscape to build more interactivity in Web pages but now based on open standards.

144 The definitions in this glossary are taken entirely from the publication Alain Depocas, Jon Ippolito, and Caitlin Jones, Permanence through Change: The Variable Media Approach, ed. Daniel Langlois Foundation (New York: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 2003). Unless stated differently.

145Helen Bailey et al., "The Electronic Media Review Electronic Media Group. Volume Three.," in Electronic Media Group session of the 41st AIC Annual Meeting and the 42nd AIC Annual Meeting, ed. Briana FestonBrunet Helen Bailey, Karen Pavelka, and Jeffrey Warda (Indianapolis, Indiana - San Francisco, California: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 2015).

146 Ibid.

147 Bailey, "Caring for Software-Based Art."

Operating system: The base-level software on which applications like word processors or Internet browsers run. Also known as a software “platform.” Prominent operating systems include Linux, UNIX, Macintosh, and Windows platforms.

Real time: Said of a continuous signal received or processed at the same rate as it is produced.

Streaming and Web camera feeds can be real time signals

Software: pertaining primarily to immaterial computer programs or electronic signals.

U-matic: A video format developed in the late 1960s consisting of 3⁄4 cassette; the precursor to Beta.

B

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