The following valuation form was made based on the questionnaire proposed by Joanna Kiliszek in her book The Values and Valuation of Modern and Contemporary Visual Art (2019), from p.201 to p.203, supported by the research report Values and Cultural Heritage by Erica Avrami, Randall Mason and Marta de la Torre (2000), and complete with Barbara Appelbaum’s Conservation Treatment Methodology (2010), from p.89 to p.115.
The importance of each value is attributed at the end of each description by the annotation L for low, M for medium and H for high.
HISTORY AND CULTURE Art (medium and current use)
Are the artworks the result of a creative process?
- DISP is the result of a visual research, a personal creation born from the artist's curiosity.
M
- Both BLOCKS and SHFT-34 resulted from an artistic project, where the ideas applied to the viewing of the object are more important than the object themselves. Both works were created for museums, with artistic attention and specific visual research. H
Associative (connection to famous person)
Are the artworks connected / made a person with an important societal position, past or present??
- Although he was very famous at the beginning of his career, Peter Struycken is mainly known in the Netherlands. He has become an important part of the artistic landscape, and this importance is still relevant today. M
Historical (biographical, bearer of information about history)
Do the artworks have an authentic link with a particular historical event or time-period? Is there an association with a particular historical person group, even, place, activity? Is there an
association with a particular period, process, theme, development, zeitgeist, or way of life?
- The association of the works with the artist Peter Struycken does not feed the historical value. L
- There is no existence of information outside of the artworks, linked to the artworks. L - The relatively young aspect of digital art makes it difficult to attribute historical value to a
work from the 70s or 80s. Here, the choice was made to consider the historical value of the works as low. The associative value acts as a "compensation". It is not possible to link the works to any strong historical event. L
Rarity and representativeness (non-material aspect, number of similar objects in existence, uniqueness, exemplar value, prototype, type exemplar)
Are the artworks unique, in the world, in the country, inside of the collection? Is it highly representative of a particular period, places, style, trend, use, theme, community?
- DISP now exists only in source code form, which is otherwise not available or visible. The only material available about the work is a video and notes made by the artist. This documentation feeds the rarity of the work. However, according to the artist himself, it would be extremely simple to simply reproduce the work because the concept is more important than the original work itself. This work is part of the artist's initiatory work in his search for the relationship between colours and their perception, which has motivated his work up to the present day. Moreover, the work can be seen as part of a series of 6 programmes written by the artist and his friend Floris Van Manen in one afternoon. In this series, DISP is not the central creation, more a step to reach an understanding of the relations between colours. The work is representative of a period in Struycken's research more than in the art world. M
- BLOCKS was specially created for a location in the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. At the time, the installation required technical ability and few museums had digital artworks as their flagship works. However, the work is no longer on display and nowadays the number of digital works accessible in museum institutions is growing. In addition, a modernised version of the work was created by another artist, Zalán Szakács. The duplication of the work decreases its rarity value. M
- There are thirty versions of the work SHFT-34. In addition, the work is accessible and visible on the internet. L
PERCEPTIONS AND EMOTIONS
Age value (look of age, desirable signs of age)
Considering that they are among the first digital works created, how important is the aesthetic aspect of the 70s and 80s on the perception of the works?
- According to Barbara Appelbaum, for an artwork to have a strong age value it requires three features: it is old, it looks old, we like it old. The three artworks we are dealing with are considered old for time-based media artworks and they undoubtedly have a strong
“retro” look. But now, is this look the essence of the artwork? According to the artist, DISP and BLOCKS could be perfectly displayed on modern screens or projected in the same way. The "old" aspect of the work is not as important as the concept it shares. L - SHFT-34 is slightly different in that the work requires a specific environment to be viewed.
One can "walk" around the work, its aesthetics, and colours in the style of the 256 colours visible at the time cannot be modified. M
Aesthetical (emotions, appealing colours, design, signs of age, senses, association)
Do the artworks emanate a particular atmosphere or evoke emotions? What is the importance of the aesthetic aspects of the colours? What is the artist’s opinion about the aesthetics of the work?
- The three artworks are prized for how they look. The artist focuses on understanding the relationship between colours, how our perception is influenced by shapes, space, and time. Struycken's work is based on aestheticism. H
Sentimental (personal experience with the object)
Is there a particular sentimental attachment to the works on the part of the artist, conservator or others who own copies?
- The interview with the Peter Struycken showed that he was not sentimentally attached to his works, more interested in the memory of the concepts created and their evolution. L - The fact that BLOCKS has been reinterpreted by Zalán Szakács increases the latter's
attachment to the work, although the Kunstmuseum Den Haag does not seem to be attached to the work (no restoration undertaken). M
FEATURES AND USE
Ensemble (completeness, unity, cohesion, conceptual integrity)
Are the artworks in good condition, complete, in their original state, or suitable for future display?
Are the artworks made of parts which together form a whole? How? Is the whole complete?
- DISP is not in a satisfactory state of preservation since the artwork is not available. L - BLOCKS could be suitable for future display, but some work should be carried out in the
Geementemuseum to house the work again. M
- SHFT-34 is not currently exhibited but the artwork is in good condition, complete and suitable for future display. The 30 new versions of the work have been made available with a booklet, integral part of the work. H
Research (study, information contained, science, research, documentation, reference, archival) Can the source codes of works be used for research purposes? Are the physical elements that constitute or have constituted the works accessible and of research interest?
- From an IT perspective, DISP is not considered as interesting research material. The source code that generated the program was very simple and is not even available anymore. L
- The same goes for BLOCKS and SHFT-34. However, as the documentation of the works is available and preserved in the institution, it might be of research interest to someone. M
Economic (monetary, market value, authorship, subject matter, medium, reputation).
Do the artworks generate revenue for an institution or private owner? Do they attract visitors or play a decisive role in the organisation’s profile and reputation?
- DISP has no economic value: the artwork is not available and not on display. L
- BLOCKS has seen its economic value plummet with the cessation of its screening at the Kuntsmuseum Den Haag. The fact that no real steps have been taken to return the work to the exhibition also shows that its contribution to the museum is not monetary. L - Some versions of SHFT-34 have been sold, the fact that the work is in a limited edition
also raises its monetary value a bit. M