Week 4: Time-Based Media and Cultural Heritage Initiatives in Institutional Contexts: Questions of Mission and Constraint

Last Day: Visual Images & Text as Cultural Heritage: New Approaches to Documentation & Conservation Guest Lecture by Jessica Bushey Guest Lecture by Jessica Bushey Guest Lecture Guest Lecture Discussion of Projects Discussion of Projects

Today: 1 st part of class):lecture, planning coursework, study tips for quiz #1 1 st part of class):lecture, planning coursework, study tips for quiz #1 2 nd Part of Class: Guest Lecture by Leora Kornfeld about MetroCode as participatory conservation 2 nd Part of Class: Guest Lecture by Leora Kornfeld about MetroCode as participatory conservation Assigned readings: Assigned readings: –Week 4 Week 4Week 4 –Weeks 5-6 Weeks 5-6Weeks 5-6

Lecture Outline Traditions in cultural heritage preservation Traditions in cultural heritage preservation Challenges of Digital Media, Variable or Time- based Media for Cultural Heritage Preservation Traditions Challenges of Digital Media, Variable or Time- based Media for Cultural Heritage Preservation Traditions

–Varied roles in art worlds (creators, curators, conservators, technicians, registrars, archivists, collectors, publics, etc…) –Arts institutions have mandates, codes of ethics, organizational structures that professional identities & constraints –BUT --International networks --disciplinary & trans- disciplinary collaboration that conflict with disciplinary & national traditions Name T= Can touch art 24 h a day without supervision (Twenty-four hours) D=may touch art during museum hours under supervision Red aura =may touch artworks Recall: traditions--professional roles in Art Museums

Museological mandates & records of Culture symbolic culture symbolic culture – values, beliefs, ways of reasoning, style, tastes, values, meaning material culture material culture –“things”, techniques

Some key principles in Cultural Heritage Preservation respect for respect for –meaning of “object or artefact” –preservation of objects in collections (in perpetuity) –In art: respect for creator’s intent –In historic & cultural museums: community stakeholders (newer) –Reversible treatments to make it possible to return to original (authentic & integral) state Debates: ownership and authority Debates: ownership and authority –Multiple meanings???

Variations in conservation approaches according to symbolic value, meaning Pressurized suits (Deep sea and Outer space) National Museum of Air & Space, Smithsonian Institution field (arts, sciences) field (arts, sciences) status & meaning of the object status & meaning of the object type of use type of use treatment conventions treatment conventions

Traditions (object preservation the case of artworks & cultural artefacts in museum contexts)

20 th c. notions of collecting “cultural things” original object or artifact as authoritative, authentic, unchanging record “frozen in time” original object or artifact as authoritative, authentic, unchanging record “frozen in time” authority or “aura” of creator (Walter Benjamin) authority or “aura” of creator (Walter Benjamin) –record of artists’ intention, act

Part 2: « Variable Media » Heritage : Preservation as Cultural Mediation & Creation “Preserving media is like preserving ice cream. Storage is a lousy strategy. You're better off getting ahold of the recipe." Jon Ippolito, Guggenheim –material culture in variable media cannot be preserved unchanged

New Strategies-Variable Media Approach Type of strategy Howdisadvantage Storage-- conservative, default for most museums Save work, dedicated equipment or digital files on disk work will expire when ephemeral materials cease to function Migration updating equipment & source material change to appearance Emulation imitating original look of the piece by different means expensive & inconsistency with the artist's intent Reinterpretation or Re-creation- radical reinterpret the work each time it is re- created Metaphoric --but may be only way for art designed to vary with context Source: Guggenheim/Fondation Daniel Langlois Variable Media Initiative, 2002.

Migration Ex. Artists’ video, Ex. Artists’ video, audio (analog-digital)

Recall: Bill Viola clip (migration)

Emulation (Seeing Double) Seeing DoubleSeeing Double Color Panel v1.0.1, C code, altered Apple PowerBook G3 laptop, and acrylic. Color Panel v1.0, C code, altered Apple PowerBook 280c laptop, and acrylic. Courtesy of the artist and Sandra Gering Gallery

Re-interpretation Morris and Carolee Schneemann performing Site at Stage 73, Surplus Dance Theater, New York, Photo by Peter Moore Morris and Carolee Schneemann performing Site at Stage 73, Surplus Dance Theater, New York, Photo by Peter Moore

Why? Challenges from New Technologies & Practices Ex. Ephemeral Materials ‘Flesh Dress…’ (Jana Sterbak)

New Ideas about what to collect Exhibition of Storefront Display covered with toxic dust from September 11, 2001, New York City. Source NYTimes, Aug. 25, 2006Source NYTimes

Changing ideas about Performance example: Julie Laffin, Over, 1996

Rapid obsolescence of technologies: (Nam June Paik. TV Garden. 1974)

Nam June Paik, TV Garden, 2000 version

Precariousness of ‘New’ Technologies (variable media) as part of Cultural Heritage Documentation & storage issues: institutional record- keeping & priorities Documentation & storage issues: institutional record- keeping & priorities Technical, practical, ethical, economic, political & aesthetic issues Technical, practical, ethical, economic, political & aesthetic issues

Interactive works: example: ada’web,

Preservation and Presentation challenges Physical installation components, hardware, custom software, feedback delay time, c perfomantive aspects Physical installation components, hardware, custom software, feedback delay time, c perfomantive aspects Multiple genres Multiple genres –Site-specific (Internet) –performative (interaction of viewers etc.)

Conservation & professional practices in the “museum field” Archives & preservation of Archives & preservation of –Works –of equipment, replacement supplies & tools of creation (ex. software & hardware) Documentation Documentation –techniques for record keeping & nomenclature of works & processes –Information on technical standards (industry) –Treatment experiences & standards for care

New Social Dynamics Rethinking “creation-mediation-reception” process Rethinking “creation-mediation-reception” process diversification of participants in networks of collaboration diversification of participants in networks of collaboration –different perspectives, active agency, multiple registers of meaning cultural, historic & artistic works as cultural, historic & artistic works as –lived experience –grounded practice –anticipation of change over time –emphasis on meaning-making process

Concluding Remarks (1) Cultural heritage preservation NOT just about preservation of objects/material remains but still largely organized around material culture & documentation (even in the digital age) Cultural heritage preservation NOT just about preservation of objects/material remains but still largely organized around material culture & documentation (even in the digital age) Understanding new approaches to presentation and preservation of artistic & historical works vital for study of constitution of culture & social organization of artworlds now Understanding new approaches to presentation and preservation of artistic & historical works vital for study of constitution of culture & social organization of artworlds now

Tensions in Mandates of cultural heritage institutions New skills, communication “across’ disciplines? New skills, communication “across’ disciplines? Persistence of old organizational structures, values & practices in museum worlds Persistence of old organizational structures, values & practices in museum worlds Interplay of personal and professional, private and public Interplay of personal and professional, private and public –“hot” & “cold” moments, “thick” description (C. Geertz)

Now: Discussion of coursework Handout #4: short reports & term assignments Handout #4: short reports & term assignments Handout #4 Handout #4 Sign up for class presentations Sign up for class presentations Handout #6 (mislabelled, should be #5): readings Handout #6 (mislabelled, should be #5): readings

Tips for Quiz #1 Review readings & lecture topics Review readings & lecture topics 1- Core ideas about culture, collecting & object preservation 1- Core ideas about culture, collecting & object preservation theories of culture, cultural heritage theories of culture, cultural heritage collecting “things” (different values according to meaning, different preservation traditions) collecting “things” (different values according to meaning, different preservation traditions) museums as an example of cultural heritage institutions museums as an example of cultural heritage institutions –Sources: Hooper-Greenhill, Pye, Marontate, ICOM

2-Core Ideas about cultural heritage conservation traditions (museums, archives, libraries) Types of cultural heritage (tangible, intangible, material, symbolic) Types of cultural heritage (tangible, intangible, material, symbolic) Authenticity Authenticity –Connections to creator & contexts in which cultural object or practice used Integrity Integrity Authorship & intention Authorship & intention Caring for collections (traditions, mandates & codes of ethics) Caring for collections (traditions, mandates & codes of ethics) –Minimal intervention –Reversibility of treatments –Original state Creation, mediation, reception in communications about culture (participants: conservators, conservation scientists, technicians, curators, owners, collectors, publics, community stakeholders etc….) Creation, mediation, reception in communications about culture (participants: conservators, conservation scientists, technicians, curators, owners, collectors, publics, community stakeholders etc….) Cultural heritage as communication Cultural heritage as communication Sources: Hooper-Greenhill, Pye, Marontate, ICOM Sources: Hooper-Greenhill, Pye, Marontate, ICOM

3-Digital Media & other forms of variable media in cultural heritage conservation Digital works & digitization as challenges (including Time-based media (types), variable media) Digital works & digitization as challenges (including Time-based media (types), variable media) Some new strategies (when storage not feasible): migration, emulation, re- interpretation, re-fabrication Some new strategies (when storage not feasible): migration, emulation, re- interpretation, re-fabrication Sources: Sterling, Ippolito, Stringari and readings about InterPARES2 & variable media network, Walton, Kimmelman, Van Wegan. Sources: Sterling, Ippolito, Stringari and readings about InterPARES2 & variable media network, Walton, Kimmelman, Van Wegan.

Break and return for Leora Kornfeld