Hello Kevin and other possible technology collectors,

The Database for Virtual Art, which goes public this summer, addresses
another element of the problem with collecting digital technology.  As an
project grown from a focus in Art History on the evolution and
characteristics of art in digital/electronic mediums, the database will be
a repository of information about these artworks, including interactive
elements, operating systems, and information for collection managers.

When you are thinking about collecting technology, perhaps also think about
the possibilities of collecting work which used that technology as a
tool.  As the technology disappears, so does the original work by the
artists and scientists who used it.  There are significant, highly regarded
works of art only ten years old now in jeopardy of disappearing.

We look forward to sharing our research and data with you soon.

http://www.arthist.hu-berlin.de/arthistd/mitarbli/og/og.htm
(see database section)

Pete Otis
Internationale Datenbank fuer Virtuelle Kunst
Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin
[log in to unmask]



>In addition, technologies are valued only as long as they
> > > cutting edge, which was yesterday, with the result that objects (eg.
>game
> > > systems) are quickly disposed of in favour of the faster, more
>impressive
> > > ones.  The question is where do we draw the line?
> > >
> > > What is the viewpoint of your facility re. contemporary collecting?  Do
> > you
> > > have a cut-off date re. contemporary collecting and how would you
>approach
> > > the processing of a large computer collection?  Do you have a policy
> > solely
> > > related to collecting the technologies which have dominated the last 25
> > > years.
> > >
> > > Good luck answering.  Kevin
> > >

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