Towards preserving Digital Culture: An interview with Gaby Wijers
Towards Preserving Digital Culture series is a contribution to the Software Heritage initiative, supported by INRIA and UNESCO. The primary objective of this series is to underscore the pivotal role of software heritage preservation in mitigating the loss of digital cultural heritage. Through these interviews, we present diverse perspectives to foster discussions on challenges related to technological progress, obsolescence, legal limitations, and preservation complexities, contributing to addressing current field needs.
Hello Gaby! Before, we start, could you tell us more about yourself?
Hi, I am Gaby Wijers, director and founder of LI-MA platform, expertise center and network for media art and digital culture in Amsterdam. We are an art organization focussing on supporting artists and artistic practice and the accessibility of media artworks over time in this field. I am trained as a librarian, I studied informatics and practiced and researched for 3 decades the archiving, documentation and preservation of media art with a focus on its sustainable access over time.
Starting as researcher and project manager of a national video art preservation project at Montevideo/Time Based Arts Netherlands Media Art institute and the Foundation for the Preservation of Contemporary Art in the 90’s continuing with installation- and software based art project s and head of preservation research and the Art Lab later on I participated in many preservation projects where software preservation is key.
For instance with C3 working on JODIs artworks, with Packed (now Meemoo) and Netwerk Digital Erfgoed (NDE) developing understanding and workflows for the preservation of software based artworks and with Geert Mul developing a script to execute software based art and the Artwork Documentation Tool and with Constant Dullaart developing ArtHost, a hosting service for netar (see article). Currently I am coordinating a case study based project with Dutch art museums and artists on knowledge building in the field of software based art preservation and developing a national infrastructure. Over time, I became more and more an initiator, advisor and coordinator of preservation projects and educator in the field.
What are the main benefits of software preservation?
Software is key on so many levels (in the production, presentation and preservation) of media art and part of our cultural heritage. A large part of the current media art is software, software is the artwork and LI-MA is taking care so these works can be experienced and understood by future generations. Also we need the software to experience and access these works as you can see in REBOOT: Pioneering Digital Art. Preserving software (and the knowledge needed to understand it now and in the future) is key to my work at LI-MA.
What are the challenges and/or obstacles?
Translating the software to open and sustainable systems is in need of a specific tailormade not a general approach; each artwork has to be met on its own needs. We have a large variety of software based artworks, taking care of over 100 websites, 500 software based artworks and 2,8 PB of digital video and software files. Keeping all active and immediately available for exhibition is a real challenge. We analyze, secure and document the art works and iterations to execute when needed. We have quite a technical staff in charge, but more support for knowledge transfer and infrastructure is needed. We always collaborate with artists, institutions and networks.
Also the availability of software versions over time is a challenge and the bad connection to the industry. Where can we find all the software that was on the market to be used? And who is maintaining that and has the knowledge?
Another one is the visualization and advocacy needed for software preservation. Politics don’t understand the need and don’t see it as a heritage important for the understanding of our history and future.
What would be your advice on collectively moving forward on software preservation?
Developing an international shared research agenda, sharing knowledge and research with and dividing research areas between organizations like Rhizome, LI-MA, Tate, ZKM etc. and connecting with networks like Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) or Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed (NDE) and universities. Researching if Installing a more practical and art oriented section of Software Preservation Network would work.
Could you recommend us with a blog, article or publication that you particularly appreciated?
Yes, certainly. I highly recommend reading the following:
Annet Dekker and Patricia Falcao, Interdisciplinary Discussions about the Conservation of Software-Based Art (2017).
Dragan Espenschied Klaus Rechert, SOFTWARE PRESERVATION AFTER THE INTERNET, 2023.
Thank you, Gaby for joining this series!
