The purpose of this work is to identify, clarify and disseminate emerging good practice relating to the preservation of digital materials that have predominantly visual properties, and which may feature: properties of interactivity; complex interdependencies between objects (often of different formats); and time-based components.
The Call text cites some areas of related work that may have some bearing on the nature and scope of the work in this strand.
The sustainability of software has most recently been addressed by the JISC-funded project, Software Preservation Project, managed by Curtis Cartwright in partnership with the Software Sustainability Institute: http://softwarepreservation.jiscinvolve.org/wp/ and
This builds on previous work undertaken by staff at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) working on the SoftPres Project http://www.e-science.stfc.ac.uk/projects/software-preservation/softpres8985.html
Links to additional work in the area of the significant properties of digital objects is available at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/preservation/2008sigprops
The emulation of computing environments is a well established technique for preserving complex digital materials and has been the focus of various initiatives over the years. A current major EC-funded project looking at this area of work is the KEEP Project
The following are illustrative links to definition, description and examples of work that pertain to the above categories:
The National e-Infrastructure for Social Simulation Project (NEISS) http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/projects/neiss/about.php
- Visualisation of geo-related data http://www.maptube.org/
- VizNet is working towards creating a UK National Visualisation Network https://wiki.viznet.ac.uk/bin/view/VizNET/WebHome
- The King’s Visualisation Lab specialise in visual representations of archaeology and historic buildings http://www.kvl.cch.kcl.ac.uk/
- The best known virtual world environment is Second Life http://secondlife.com/
- A JISC-funded study on the use of ‘Serious Virtual Worlds’ and their role in education http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2008/seriousvirtualworldsreport.aspx
- A JISC-funded study on ‘Learning in Immersive Worlds: a review of game-based learning http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/elearninginnovation/gamingreport_v3.pdf
- The NDIIPP-funded Preserving Virtual Worlds Project led by the University of Illinoishttp://pvw.illinois.edu/pvw/
The term ‘software-based art’ is used in this context to refer to works of art where software is integral to the artwork. The term excludes works of art where the software is simply part of a control device, for example in the display of multiple channels of video or audio, or in the production of a work of art in a non digital form such as a digital print.
Software-based art often involves code which draws upon a range of assets such as images, sound, text or other data. It includes works which are stand alone, networked, interactive or generative. Essentially networked works are linked to external data sources and include works connected to the internet, a local area network or a closed network. ‘Interactive’ refers to works which require a person to engage with it, and ‘generative’ is where the data is changed during the function of the work of art.
- Rafael Lozano Hemmer Subtitled Public http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/projects.php
- Yael Kanarek World of Awe http://www.worldofawe.net/thejournal/landing/
- Michael Craig Martin Things Change
- (No obvious link readily available but an interesting critique of the function and display of this work is available in a Guardian review http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2007/dec/30/art)
- And the works in the Decode exhibition at the VA http://www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/decode/exhibition/code
- The Tate Gallery – Matters in Media Art http://www.tate.org.uk/research/tateresearch/majorprojects/mediamatters/
- Documentation and Conservation of Media Arts Heritage (DOCAM) http://www.docam.ca/en/case-studies/rokeby-machine-for-taking-time.html
- The KEEP Project is addressing emulation topics http://www.keep-project.eu/ezpub2/index.php
- The PLANETS project has produced various reports, various of which address emulation issues http://www.planets-project.eu/docs/presentations/Planets_iPRES_jrvanderhoeven_emulation.pdf
- PrestoSpace – Preservation towards storage and access: Standardised Practices for audiovisual contents in Europe: http://www.prestospace.org/
- CASPAR – Cultural, Artistic and Scientific Knowledge for Preservation, Access and Retrieval: http://www.casparpreserves.eu/
- ICT Work Programme 2009-2010: Objective 4.1: Digital Libraries and Digital Preservation (section b1):
- ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/ict/docs/digicult/outcomes-a-and-b_en.pdf