RE: [-empyre-] Re: Preservation of digital media

["lisa cianci" <lcianci@bigpond.net.au>]

I'm a bit of a lurker here and don't always get to read all the
postings.
My email may not relate directly to this email discussion, but here
goes...
I'm a new media artist, and also have worked as a professional archivist
for quite a few years, so this thread interests me a lot.
I'm currently doing a masters (at the RMIT AIM centre) which is looking
at the "life-cycle" of digital multimedia objects and artistic practice.

I am incorporating many elements from the area of preservation of
digital media into my own art practice, mainly through structured
relational databases and metadata, and using the Internet as the
delivery system. I'm interested in what happens to media we can no
longer access. People refer to "dead media". I prefer to think of the
media as going through "stages of currency" to use a great phrase I read
on some archival email list ages ago. I use metadata to maybe slow or
alter the process, but also to enhance the original object. I am
exploring the incorporation of archival theory and practice into the
work right from the beginning of the process and then experimenting with
what happens over a substantial period of time. Maybe one way of looking
at it is to accept that we can't always view an object/artefact in the
same way forever - that the stages of currency can be really interesting
too. Memory and loss play a big part in archives.

People use the word "archive" in a lot of different ways. I think the
language surrounding the whole process needs to be explored too.
Sometimes what I understand as an "archive", or "archiving" is different
to the way others talk about it.

I'd be interested to know of other people who may be exploring similar
methods (especially any artist/archivists that are out there), or know
of good online examples aside from the ones already listed in previous
emails - which have been great - thanks!
Paul Koerbin's comments definitely relate to my past experiences and
conceptual background working in archives and information management.
The Atlas group sounds particularly interesting too especially when
dealing with the issues of validity and truth.
Lisa


(((((((((((((((((((((((((((
lisa cianci
teacher, multimedia
victoria university
lisa.cianci@vu.edu.au
lc@mmorphe.com
www.mmorphe.com
art.tafe.vu.edu.au

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))

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