The conservation and restoration of time-based media art is the practice of preserving time-based works of art. Preserving time-based media is a complex undertaking within the field of conservation that requires an understanding of both physical and digital conservation methods. It is the job of the conservator to evaluate possible changes made to the artwork over time.Guggenheim Museum (n.d.). Establishing New Practices. Retrieved from These changes could include short, medium, and long-term effects caused by the environment, exhibition-design, technicians, preferences, or technological development. The approach to each work is determined through various conservation and preservation strategies, continuous education and training, and resources available from institutions and organization across the globe.
Time-based media art Time-based media refers to works of art that unfold over a period of time utilizing elements such as light, sound, or movement. Many time-based works rely on technology, creating a challenge for conservators as these technologies obsolesce.Smithsonian Institution. (n.d.). Time-Based Media Art at the Smithsonian. Retrieved from Time-based media includes installations composed of video, audio, film, slides, and software based art. This term also describes works of art created for the internet.Iles, Chrissie and Huldisch, Henriette (2005). Keeping Time: On Collecting Film and Video Art in the Museum. In Collecting the New. Altshuler, Bruce (Ed.) NJ: Princeton University Press.
Works containing video and/or audio may at times be referred to as four-dimensional (4D), referencing time as the fourth dimension. Terms that may also refer to time-based media art include video art, new media, variable media, electronic art, moving-image art, sound art, technology-based art, and expanded media.
Time-based media collections are housed in libraries, archives, museums, and private collections. Video art differs from professional or commercial filmmaking. Many video works are captured on non-commercial film stocks such as 8 mm film or 16 mm film, videotape, or as digital recordings.
The complexity of preserving time-based media art presents technical and ethical challenges. Obsolescence and failing equipment contribute to instabilities due to the ever evolving nature of technology. These artworks only exist when installed, creating a unique experience in which the art work will be represented in a new way every time it is displayed. Because of this, preserving time-based media art's fragile identity is an aspect that conservators must actively monitor.
Preservation and conservation strategies Guidelines for collecting and preserving time-based media art are still evolving, and though much progress has been made in the conservation operations and process standards have not yet been reached. Despite having been recorded in a similar manner, generally, video and film must be looked at differently because of the difference between the two mediums. Thus procedures for preservation and conservation will vary between the mediums.
Video is a coded system, the information stored on the magnetic or digital tape can be retrieved only with a specific electronic playback device. The images on the film strip, however, are legible on their own, though the projector provides the only means by which they can be viewed. When collecting film and video art, a master and at least one sub-master should be obtained. In some cases, and exhibition copy will be obtained as well, in other cases it will be copied by the museum. Some conservators recommend that sub-masters be in digital format, as analog tape suffers from generation loss, each time it is duplicated.
Digital formats can suffer from generation loss as well, but it can be avoided through good practice. The sub-master will be used to make new copies of the work and the format of the sub-master needs to be updated when it nears obsolescence. Obsolescence is of particular concern to time-based media art conservationists, as many artworks are tied to hardware which is no longer manufactured or supported. File formats reaching obsolescence are another concern, as operating systems change and old formats are replaced by newer ones. Fortunately there are some methods in place to help prevent the total loss of time-based media artworks.
The Guggenheim Museum provides preservation models for Analog Standard Definition Video, Digital Standard Definition Video, and High Definition Video.
Preventive measures The protection against physical loss, technological obsolescence, and digital loss of the file are important aspects of a holistic approach to preservation strategies. Measures must also be taken against environmental factors, such as humidity and pests to ensure the long-term preservation of any physical media. Integrated pest management is an important part of any museum preventive conservation plan.
Preventive measures do not stop deterioration fully; they merely prolong the time it takes for the media to deteriorate. Some media, like certain film stocks, are more stable than others, and some media, such as magnetic videotape, are potentially unstable, requiring different conservation approaches.
Storage and maintenance of physical objects Good storage practices help ensure the long life of an artwork and should be incorporated into a museum's conservation strategy. Storage practices vary by media, so a museum will need to employ a range of storage options to best care for their time-based media art collections. A variety of physical media, such as film, tape, and disks must be stored properly to prevent physical. Prevention is the best measure of protection against loss, and when successful has the ability to outlive the equipment it was made for. While how a media is stored is dependent on its format's needs, most generally requires cool temperatures and low humidity.
Film Film reels are typically stored in their metal or plastic canisters, laid flat horizontally, and stacked on top of each other. Film must be stored in a climate-controlled room due to its susceptibility to heat and humidity causing the film to degrade. Film may also have additional special storage considerations, which may involve low temperature freezes to retard further damage.National Park Service (n.d.) Cold Storage. Retrieved from How stable the film is depends largely on the type of stock, but film, if well taken care of, is generally able to last for long periods of time.
Film has been made on a variety of materials, including nitrate-based film stock (see: Nitrocellulose) and acetate-based film stocks, and polyester-backed film. Due to that difference, each of these film types have a different conservation strategy. Nitrate film must be handled carefully, as it is highly flammable. Cellulose acetate film stocks are at risk of vinegar syndrome, which causes a vinegar like odor due to a reaction when moisture of the film interact with the air in the environment. Whereas polyester-backed films are not susceptible to vinegar syndrome or flammable, but over time film, generally has the possibility to shrink, wrap, or have the emulsion pull off in not properly stored.
Film is stored in a colder environment than other time-based media and different types of film have different optimum storage temperatures.
Color film – In order to prevent color fading store at coldest possible temperature. While color film can handle temperature up to with humidity levels of 25–35%, the preferred temperature is . Black-and-white film – Stored best at with 25–35% humidity.
Magnetic videotape Magnetic videotape was never meant to last and with a beginning life expectancy of often only a few decades the media often has a short life, especially if exposed to warm or humid conditions. When videotapes are not stored properly their short life expectancy becomes even shorter. Storing the format upright and in a dry, cool, and dust free environment will aid videotapes to have a lifespan of a few decades. Videotapes may be stored in polypropylene cases, but without paper inside the cases and always be stored at temperatures above 46 °F, as lower temperatures cause deterioration. Magnetic media should also be kept away from magnetic sources, which could demagnetize them.
Optical digital media Optical media, such as DVDs and CDs, are susceptible to the exposure of dirt, dust, and scratches from rough handling or improper storage conditions that cause deterioration. Optical media should be stored in hard plastic jewel cases or other inert plastic containers and should avoid storage in plastic sleeves. Although optical media can handle higher humidity (33–45%) and temperatures () than other mediums, cooler temperatures around with 20–50% humidity is recommended to ensure a longer life for DVDs and CDs.
Display equipment and playback devices Because time-based media is dependent on technology to view it, playback devices must also be stored. This is especially significant in time-based media art, as specific types of technological devices may be required for the art work or preferred by the artist. Maintaining the technology that the time-based media art is played on is one conservation strategy, and what is stored depends on the equipment device. Consumer products, for example, are not meant for repeated viewing on such a large scale and are usually not expected to have a long enough life to maintain the device well into the future.
Due to rapid changes in video technology and the high cost of maintaining and storing equipment, storage and maintenance of some playback devices may not practical for a museum as a primary strategy. The choice of how the time-based media art will be preserved is a collaborative decision made by both the artist and the museum conservators. Determining if and how the technology or device will be exchanged in the conservation of the artwork should be made based on the relationship between the technical aspects of the artwork and the artist's intention. The conservator also must be fully informed how the artwork's aesthetic, concept, and historical identity is impacted by the characteristics and function of the technology involved.
Museums do at times need to store obsolete technology though, such as VCRs, old computers, video game systems, etc., particularly if they have been customized for the artwork by the artist. In these cases, conservation strategies could included acquiring spare parts early on in the acquisition process and before the technology is discontinued, making new components if necessary, and/or inexact substitution which follows the best match method of creating replicas of specific pieces.Laurenson, Pip (2005). The Management of Display Equipment in Time-based Media Installations. Tate Papers. Retrieved from
Unlike video equipment, film equipment is far more stable and museums may be more likely to conserve the equipment along with the media because there is less upkeep and film equipment does not need constant replacement due to obsolescence. A working projector will always run film. Technological devices should be stored in a clean, climate controlled environment, as humidity can be damaging to electronic components.
While conserving and keeping equipment is still necessary in many cases, emulation technology has begun to aid in the conservation of many time-based media arts. This advancement in the digital preservation and conservation of time-based media art allows conservators to save media in which their equipment has become obsolete. In return, the software or artwork's longevity can increase immensely.
Born-digital media art