“Always Only Once: The paradox of preserving performative digital works” presented by Alexander
Symposium:
- ISEA2022: 27th International Symposium on Electronic Art
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More presentations from ISEA2022:
Session Title:
- Summit on New Media Art Archiving: Long Papers
Presentation Title:
- Always Only Once: The paradox of preserving performative digital works
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Abstract:
The 20th century saw various approaches to expanded cinema performance, including color organs and mixed media “psychedelic” light shows. These practices were difficult to document technically and were, to various extents, based on performance in the moment. Technically, archival 20th century visual performance documentation and preservation ranges from the non-existent to the surprisingly future proofed. But expanded cinema historian William Moritz summed up the unrepeatability of performance experience in a 1969 review of the mixed media performance ensemble Single Wing Turquoise Bird: “always only once.” Contemporary performative digital practice shares some parallels with these earlier performative practices: the work may be performed live by a performer, or an algorithm may perform the work automatically. In either case, preservation faces the paradox of recreating moments that were intended to happen “always only once.” Examining 20th century attempts to preserve the ephemeral can inform not only how we approach preservation of performative and process-based digital works, but also which works we attempt to preserve.
