PRESERVATION

MARCH 2025 - ONGOING

When I compare the living organism with such a machine, I do not for a moment mean that the specific physical, chemical, and spiritual processes of life as we ordinarily know it are the same as those of life-imitating machines. I mean simply that they both can exemplify locally anti-entropic processes, which perhaps may also be exemplified in many other ways which we should naturally term neither biological nor mechanical.

Norbert Wiener, 1954

This program explores the evolving challenges of preserving new media art in the face of rapid technological obsolescence. As hardware and software quickly become outdated, traditional conservation methods, which focus on material preservation, are proving insufficient for maintaining the impact and meaning of these artworks.

Through a series of in-depth artist interviews, the program will delve into how leading new media artists navigate these challenges in their work. By examining their creative processes and their views on preservation, the program aims to uncover new strategies for adapting and recontextualizing artworks to keep them relevant in contemporary digital and cultural environments.