AIC's 42nd Annual Meeting

Sustainable choices in collection care, when applied to time-based media, are constantly evolving. This technological area requires the collaboration and active engagement with a variety of individuals and industries. Focusing on the ever-shifting medium of digital video (in particular, so-called "high definition"), this presentation will highlight how working closely with curators, artists, and media professionals at the pre-acquisition phase is imperative to the long-term storage and care of this material. Case studies of recent acquisitions by different curatorial departments at The Museum of Modern Art will highlight the variability of this media and how to make sustainable conservation decisions before the work even enters the collection. In addition, attention will be paid to particular workflows and best practices in both the acquisition and long-term conservation phases in the life of such artworks, as well how these phases are dependent on each other.