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Introduction

1. From a digital art project to the DOCAM Cataloguing Structure Committee

One of the strengths of the Documentation and Conservation of Media Arts Heritage (DOCAM) Research Alliance at the time of its inception was its ability to draw on the efforts and actions of different existing initiatives. Thus, it seemed natural that the Cataloguing Structure Committee be comprised of individuals and organizations that had already began reflecting or working towards a better understanding of the changes that had to be made to our current cataloguing practices and structures for the inclusion of new media art. For example, the original purpose of the “Digital Art” Project initiated by the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) in the early 2000s was to create a virtual exhibition of digital art with partners from the Canadian art community. This ultimate goal was to be based on completing the preliminary identification and localization of the following:

 

· main centres of artistic creation in Canada

· works in museum collections

 

Cross-Canada consultations led to meetings with museum representatives and practitioners for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of the specific issues associated with this type of artwork. In addition, the consultations also brought to the fore the institutions’ common problems and needs regarding documentation practices for this artwork, thereby identifying the kinds of tools required by the museum community to better manage and preserve the works acquired.

 

Consequently, the initial project goals and benefits were modified by

 

· participating in the Circuit4 digital art project;

· holding productive exchanges with such partners as

Daniel Langlois Foundation for Art, Science and Technology (DLF); and

Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MACM), where a preliminary research project on artwork documentation will be carried out.

 

One of the important and concrete benefits of this project was the creation of practical tools for documenting new media art. At the request and with the assistance of CHIN, MACM developed a questionnaire for artists of new media art and a cataloguing form that would better meet the specific documentation needs of this type of art.

 

2. Why a best cataloguing practices guide?

When the DLF launched the DOCAM research project, CHIN and MACM were eager to continue the previously undertaken work, especially with respect to cataloguing new media art. The need to develop a best practices guide had already been identified during the preliminary work for the “Digital Art” project directed by CHIN until 2005.

 

3. Cataloguing Structure Committee mandate and objectives

The Cataloguing Structure Committee has been actively involved in the DOCAM Research Alliance’s major objectives. To complement the multidisciplinary work of all Alliance committees, the major mandate of this working group was to develop a cataloguing structure for new media art so as to:

 

· complete existing structures or schematics used for describing and cataloguing new media art in museum collections;

· utilize the relational capacity of automated collection management systems to establish logical links among different information units.

 

The specific objectives of the Cataloguing Structure Committee were to:

· identify different types of new media art in the collections of participating Canadian institutions;

· select a representative sample of this typology of artwork to conduct in-depth case studies;

· identify the specific problems posed by each type of work;

· highlight the concepts essential to understanding, preserving and presenting new media art;

· develop a best practices guide for cataloguing new media collections for the museum community.

 

4. Methodology used and results obtained

The Cataloguing Structure Committee developed an efficient and standardized work method to meet its objectives. Museum representatives played a leading role in prioritizing issues, in establishing, with the DOCAM Conservation and Preservation Committee, a typology of new media art and in identifying representative and significant works in their collections for use in the cataloguing case study. This project is based on the key findings of a survey conducted among selected museums on three continents that have a media art collection.

 

4.1 Overview of museums’ established practices

Starting in 2005, the Cataloguing Structure Committee mandated The Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal (MBAM) to develop an overview of the situation by identifying fundamental issues and concerns shared by museums that have new media art in their collections. To do so, an informal survey was conducted in order to gain insight into the established documentation and management practices of different museums. A short questionnaire on acquisition, documentation and cataloguing, migration and storage, conservation and copyright was sent to a little over one hundred museums in North America, Europe and Australia. Nearly a third of these institutions filled out and returned the questionnaire. These preliminary studies enabled us to identify the main trends and the common problems associated with new media art management. The participating museums were enthusiastic in stating just how relevant and timely such a study would be. From among the main conclusions drawn from the results, below are those that are most relevant to the DOCAM Research Alliance:

 

· Most institutions use the same tools (cataloguing forms, descriptive systems and classification schematics, databases) and working methods (recording, cataloguing) they use for traditional forms of art when they acquire or manage new media art;

· There is apparently no standardization in the terminology used to name, describe or classify new media art;

· Almost every institution stated that problems with technological obsolescence and the breakdown of certain components require them to repair or replace the artwork on a case-by-case basis;

· Most institutions entrust the maintenance and repair of the artwork’s technological components to their AV department;

· Most institutions makes copies of the original artwork and use them for exhibitions, while the original is put into storage, thus reducing risks;

· While some institutions store new media art in adapted storage areas, such as in a server room or specialized cabinets, most of the museums consulted store these works in their existing facilities along with the remainder of the museum’s collection;

· A common practice among institutions is the migration of content to more recent technologies. However, this practice requires the prior authorization of the work’s creator(s);

· Most of the participating institutions stated their concern about the need to continuously consult the artist or his or her assistants before making decisions that would normally be made by the museum’s internal management team;

· Museums often hesitate to undertake the steps to request authorization from the artist or his or her representatives. Few institutions have developed clear collection management policies and legal documents defining applicable guidelines and areas of responsibility in the matter. Consequently, several pieces of new media art remain on shelves in museum storage facilities.

 

This brief overview of the situation was sufficient to orient the work of the Cataloguing Structure Committee and establish the methodology for conducting the new media art cataloguing case studies.

 

4.2. Selecting artwork and case studies

Once the common problems and current methods were better understood, the Cataloguing Structure Committee established a case study methodology for identifying the best practices for cataloguing new media art. First, a typology of new media art was done in association with the DOCAM Conservation and Preservation Committee. Next, some works in the collections of museums participating in the Cataloguing Structure Committee were selected for the case studies. The selection of artworks was wide enough in range to cover all types of artworks identified. Nine works were selected from the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, The Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal and the National Gallery of Canada, providing a considerable corpus to make cataloguing recommendations for this type of artwork. (see: Descriptive table - essential data-entry fields for documenting new media works and recommendations)

 

The precise steps to follow to create continuity in the case studies and between the three museums were defined. These steps were:

 

· in-depth analysis of existing documentation;

· collecting data from the artist and his or her assistants or associates;

· collecting data from museum personnel (curator, conservator, archivist, technician, etc.);

· complete installation of the work;

· systematic organization of the collected data.

 

A methodological record and a detailed report were prepared for each case study. These documents then served to write the conclusions and recommendations appearing in the upcoming pages.

 

5. Results

All the established objectives were met, thanks to the exhaustive work of the Cataloguing Structure Committee. But the committee would not be satisfied unless a parallel activity it deemed a priority from the outset was included, namely to ensure that the results obtained be delivered to the various interested communities, in particular the museum community. The Cataloguing Guide for New Media Collections has proven to be the most productive way of making the results readily accessible. The guide begins with an overview of the terminology and the definitions adopted by the committee to name and describe the works studied. It also contains references to presentations and conferences given by committee members and the archived videos, articles and supporting documents. The main recommendations and developed tools are briefly discussed.

 

5.1 What do we mean by “new media art”? A definition

Since the start of the DOCAM Project, research committees have been preoccupied with terminological issues, in particular the Terminology Committee, whose mandate consisted of developing vocabulary management tools. Several terms are used to qualify both the art form and the artworks that are created with technological components, including electronic, technological, digital or multimedia. The inclusion of diverse technological components that may even be incorporated into traditional art forms, explains the difficulty of relying on a single term and definition to designate these very heterogeneous works. The term media art has been used largely during events or research conducted by the DOCAM Alliance. It is considered sufficiently broad to include a variety of artistic practices and works of art whose behaviour is intrinsically linked to the use of technologies accessible since the latter half of the twentieth century.

 

From a cataloguing perspective, an alternate, more precise and more international term than media arts was necessary. The Cataloguing Structure Committee felt that new media was the most representative of the terms already used in museums to name and categorize this type of artwork. This term is also used most frequently to standardize the data entered into collection management systems, thus, fostering global comprehension of these collections.

 

New Media: Definition

 

Artwork created with technology that has been invented or become largely accessible since the mid-20th century and uses, among other things, telecommunications, mass media, multimedia or digital transmission. The term new media is distinguished by the artwork’s components, which incorporate more recent technology and most often require electrical power. New media works include such art forms as installation, video art, interactive art and net art.

 

(Cataloguing Structure Committee - DOCAM, definition adapted from : EAI Online Resource Guide for Exhibiting, Collecting & Preserving Media Art)

 

5.2. Useful references thanks to the sharing of results

Even before their work was completed, the Cataloguing Structure Committee enthusiastically shared the preliminary results of its research. Below is a brief list of the relevant conferences and publications that act as references:

 

· Conferences – 2006-2009 DOCAM Training Seminars :

DOCAM Seminar – Winter 2006, McGill University

Instructor: William Straw, Art History and Communication History, McGill University

Conference Conservation Issues in Video and New Media at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal – La conservation de la vidéo et des nouveaux médias au MACM, by Anne-Marie Zeppetelli, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

 

DOCAM Seminar – Winter 2007, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Instructor: Sylvie Lacerte, Faculté des arts, UQAM

Conference Les questions de la documentation et du catalogage des œuvres à composantes technologiques au Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal – études de cas en catalogage pour DOCAM, by Anne-Marie Zeppetelli, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and Tommy Lavallée, DOCAM research assistant

 

DOCAM Seminar – Winter 2008, McGill University

Instructor: Sylvie Lacerte, Art History and Communication History, McGill University

Conference Cataloguing case studies at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, by Anne-Marie Zeppetelli, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

 

DOCAM Seminar – Winter 2009, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Instructor: Sylvie Lacerte, Programme de maîtrise en muséologie, UQAM

Conference Les questions de la documentation et du catalogage des œuvres à composantes technologiques au Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal – études de cas, by Anne-Marie Zeppetelli, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

 

· Presentations – 2005-2008 Annual DOCAM Summits:

₋ 2005 DOCAM Summit, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal

Presentation Cataloguing Structure Committee: Cataloguing structure and tools for works featuring technological content, by Anne-Marie Zeppetelli, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

 

₋ 2006 DOCAM Summit, McGill University, Montréal

Presentation Cataloguing Structure Committee, by Allison Simpson, Canadian Heritage Information Network; Preliminary results, Survey on Cataloguing of New Media Works, by Elaine Tolmatch, The Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal, and Avery Larose, DOCAM research assistant

 

₋ 2007 DOCAM Summit, The Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal

Presentation Cataloguing Structure Committee, by Madeleine Lafaille, Canadian Heritage Information Network and Anne-Marie Zeppetelli, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

Presentation Emilie Boudrias, Cataloguing Structure Committee (Quelques études de cas au Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal) by Émilie Boudrias, DOCAM research assistan

 

₋ 2008 DOCAM Summit, McGill University, Montréal

Presentation Études de cas en structure de catalogage : Max Dean et Raffaello D’Andrea, The Table: Childhood (National Gallery of Canada), by Geneviève Saulnier, National Gallery of Canada, and Marie-Ève Courchesne, DOCAM research assistant

 

· Other presentations and publications:

₋ Documentation et Bibliothèques magazine, published by the Association pour l’avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED),

Article Attention ! La techno envahit nos collections, by Madeleine Lafaille, Canadian Heritage Information Network, Alain Depocas, Daniel Langlois Foundation for Art, Science and Technology, and Wendy Thomas, Canadian Heritage Information Network, October-December 2009, vol. 55, no. 4.

 

Professional Exchange Web site of the Canadian Heritage Information Network

File Media Art and Museums and Experimental Lab Web site of the Virtual Museum of Canada , presentation Media Art in Canada, by a team from The Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal supervised by Elaine Tolmatch – 2009

 

Museums and the Web Conference 2008, Montreal

Presentation New Media Art in Museum Collections: A Report from the DOCAM Cataloguing and Conservation Committees, by Richard Gagnier, The Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal, Madeleine Lafaille, Canadian Heritage Information Network, Elaine Tolmatch, The Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal, and Anne-Marie Zeppetelli, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

Published article at www.archimuse.com

 

DOCAM research project Web site

Essay L’importance des métadonnées pour une préservation intelligente des œuvres d’art médiatique en milieu muséal, by Tommy Lavallée, DOCAM research assistant – March 2007

Published essay in .pdf

 

DOCAM research project Web site

Research report Rapport méthodologique sur les études de cas effectuées au Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal et au Musée des beaux-arts du Canada en 2007-2008 portant sur les œuvres Générique d’Alexandre Castonguay, The Table: Childhood de Max Dean et Raffaello D’Andrea et Unex Sign No. 2 (from the Survival Series) de Jenny Holzer, by Marie-Ève Courchesne, DOCAM research assistant – March 2008

Partially published report in .pdf

 

5.3. Recommendations and tools

In conclusion, it would be appropriate to give an overview of the main recommendations and tools that were developed and appear later in the guide. The problems involved in cataloguing new media art must be carefully assessed to ensure that the information needed to permit the long-term conservation and presentation of this art is properly documented. The Cataloguing Structure Committee made the following recommendations:

 

· Detailed documentation must be done upon acquisition of the artwork to avoid having to react to problems that may arise later;

· The documentary process should include an audio or video interview with the artist to ensure that the museum has gathered the requirements regarding the eventual needs for migration support or evolving technology. It is essential that the artist provide a detailed description of the concept and meaning of his or her work, which will prove useful to avoid compromising the artist’s concept or the desired behaviour of the work when having to make decisions about modifying it;

· An exhaustive documentary process must also include the work’s installation plans, clear photographs of the work during and after set-up, a complete inventory of the technological components, their functions and the capacity to link all this information in a database.

 

To follow these recommendations, the tools developed by the committee researchers may be used and adapted to a museum’s specific requirements. The following tools appear in the appendix of this guide:

 

· Cataloguing form for new media art;

· Complementary cataloguing form for recording the changes made when exhibiting the work;

· A questionnaire for artists of new media art.

 

The following chapters of the guide examine the main ideas around acquisition, documentation and new media collection management. It also introduces several of the artworks that became the subjects of the DOCAM case studies and the tools developed by the researchers. The guide does not impose a new rigid structure that would entail changes to metadata schemas, rules of description or the collection management system already used by institutions. On the contrary, it proposes modifications to and methods for using these systems that take into account the characteristics of new media art.

 

Note that the tools developed by the members of other DOCAM Research Alliance committees may also be used to complement those presented. For example, the database and other terminological resources, the conceptual documentation model and the conservation guide provide further insight into other aspects of the documentation and preservation of new media art.

 

We are confident that this guide will be invaluable to institutions and organizations that own or plan to acquire new media art.

 

Happy reading and happy cataloguing.

 

Madeleine Lafaille, Président of Cataloguing structure Committee and

Heritage Information Analyst Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN)