Can Art Conservation Apply to Digital Creations?
Is there a code-based equivalent to physical maintenance?
When I’m not writing, I’m working as an art conservator. I clean sculptures to ensure they look as close to the state they were in when they were made, or when their owner bought them. In doing this, I also have to maintain the sculpture’s integrity — no adding or subtracting any materials if possible.
I’ve worked on sculptures both publicly and privately owned — pieces by Jeff Koons, Auguste Rodin (work pictured above), and Keith Haring. Sculptures that are, needless to say, very valuable. If I can keep them looking good, their owners can sell them for close to their buying price.
Problem is, many of these sculptures live outdoors. They degrade naturally due to the elements. I do what I can to preserve their “value,” but no matter what, it’s always going down.
You know where I’m going with this. Digital art cannot go outdoors, cannot lose value because of its physical condition. But no art is safe from decreasing value. Think CryptoKitties (debatably art). When the price of ETH was up, they sold for six figures. Now, that’s laughable. Can any maintenance be done to preserve the value of digital art, like how I carefully remove the corrosion from sculptures? I’d genuinely like to know.
