Dr. Lino García Morales
specialised in conservation and restoration of digital art, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Period
2010
Title
Conservation and Restoration of Digital Art
Keywords
Digital art, Restoration, obsolescence, methodology
Abstract
This PhD thesis deals with the conservation and restoration of Digital Art. There are many questions raised by this challenge and fewer answers. What is digital art? What is digital heritage? What is the most appropriate theory to such practices? What are the challenges of Restoration? What ethical issues arise? What is the role of the stakeholders: artist, conservator, curator, collector, archivist, etc.? How does Restoration act in the new order of the intersection of art, science, technology, communication, society? This research reflects on multidisciplinary aspects such as the Theory of Restoration, digital art, methodologies and technologies related to both production and the proposed Restoration strategies what requires an open and interdisciplinary reading and, in fact, it is a simile itself of the challenge of this confluence.
Chapter I is a complete revision of the object of Restoration – digital art, from different points of views. Why is it important to chart digital art? What is its nature? What implications does the immateriallity have? Is it possible to define, date and preserve the unstable?
Chapter II proposes a theory of digital art Restoration and establishes relationships with Traditional and Contemporary Theories of Restoration. What is the conceptual problem? Is immateriality able to be Restored? To which extent can traditional Restoration theories be used? Why digital Restoration?
Chapter III revises Restoration from a multidimensional point of view and proposes a new strategy for Restoration of digital art - recreation. Why
evolutive conservation? Does obsolescence represent the end of the object? What determines «the digital»? Is an allograph Restoration possible? Why
some technologies are more appropriate than others? What value does a methodology add? Why the paradigm of complex systems?
Chapter IV explores the recreation in the conservation of videoart and videoinstallation art and develops the work of Wolf Vostell: 6 TV Dé-coll/age as a case study. How to recreate the image? Is it possible to preserve the immaterial?
Annex A proposes a methodology for the design and development of transdisciplinary projects. Why Transdisciplinary? What does the paradigm
of complexity offer? Why should it be incorporated in Restoration of Digital art? Why is it important for the new conservator? Is it possible to
Document the Restoration object from the information it contains?
Annex B discourses on the technologies related to digital art and, ultimately, directly responsible for its obsolescence - languages, systems,
architectures, software/hardware. What can be done? Is it possible a different evolutionary outlook? How can technology be immune to its own
obsolescence?
Supervisors
Prof. Dr. Pilar Montero Vilar
Language
Spanish
Download thesis
http://www.safecreative.org/work/1103078649146
Contact
lino.garcia@upm.es