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| == New Media Documentation at the Slovak National Gallery == | == New Media Documentation in the Slovak National Gallery == |
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| [[contributors#bohumelova|Mária Bohumelová]], [[contributors#cudrnak|Michal Čudrnák]], [[contributors#gregorovastach|Lucia Gregorová Stach]], Slovak National Gallery | [[contributors#bohumelova|Mária Bohumelová]], [[contributors#cudrnak|Michal Čudrnák]], [[contributors#gregorovastach|Lucia Gregorová Stach]] |
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| {{TOC}} | {{TOC}} |
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| ==== Other media collection ==== | ==== Other Media collection ==== |
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| New media is other media, at least in the collection of Slovak National Gallery (SNG). The IM (Other Media) collection of SNG was founded after 1989, with a fragment of the famous teamwork by the artists Stano Filko, Miloš Laky and Ján Zavarský //White Space in White Space// from 1974 (IM 001) being its first acquisition.[(https://www.webumenia.sk/en/dielo/SVK:SNG.IM_1)] | The new media are other media, at least in the collections of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG). The SNG's Other Media collection was established after 1989, with its first acquisition being a fragment of the famous team work by artists Stano Filko, Miloš Laky and Ján Zavarský, //White Space in White Space// from 1974 (IM 001).[(https://www.webumenia.sk/en/dielo/SVK:SNG.IM_1)] |
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| The collection can be divided into three lines. One consists of the collection and historical reconstruction of artworks belonging to the new tendencies of "other creativity", to use art historian Radislav Matuštík's term, which developed in Slovakia from the early 1960s in various positions and non-classical media outputs. Most of these artworks emerged the unofficial and underground art scene as an alternative to the official doctrine of artistic creation associated with academic education and the representation of the socialist state culture. Future acquisitions to the collections aim to continue to record, research, collect, preserve and present works of conceptual art, action art and intermedia art, either through artefacts or, in the case of ephemeral work, through mediated photographic documentation. The second line of the collection is related to time-based new media art (experimental film and video art or video installation) and the third line is related to "contemporary" installations or site-specific art. From the media point of view, the collection maps all media of creation and all non-classical positions and forms of artistic production; its focus is research and registration of the experimental art scene in the sphere of contemporary art in Slovakia within its possibilities. | The collection can be divided into three lines. One consists of the collection and historical reconstruction of artworks belonging to the new tendencies of "other creativity", to use the term of art historian Radislav Matuštík, which developed in Slovakia since the early 1960s in various positions and non-classical media outputs. Most of these works emerged from the unofficial and underground art scene as an alternative to the official doctrine of artistic production associated with academic education and the representation of socialist state culture. Future acquisitions to the collections aim to continue to record, research, collect, preserve and present works of conceptual art, action art and intermedia art, either through artefacts or, in the case of ephemeral works, through mediated photographic documentation. The second line of the collection is related to time-based media art (experimental film, video art, video installation) and the third line is related to "contemporary" installations and site-specific art. From the media point of view, the collection maps all media of creation and all non-classical positions and forms of artistic production; its focus is on research and registration of the experimental art scene in the sphere of contemporary art in Slovakia, within the limits of its possibilities. |
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| Due to the circumstances of its creation and short history, the IM (Other Media) collection contains a variety of works from the 1960s and later. Some of them can be found on the intersection of conceptual art and sculpture, such as environments, objects and installations. Also included are time-based works such as films, video art, and intermedia works such as relics and documentaries, happenings and performances. The focus of the collection allows for future acquisitions of artworks combining multiple artistic approaches, as well as works based on an interdisciplinary basis. Through the collaboration of several professional activities that enrich curatorial expertise with the necessary technological and media skills, it will also be possible to engage in a more systematic collection and exploration of performance, sound and internet art. For this, however, new ways of recording and storing data need to be developed. | {{sng-2.jpg?640}} |
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| | ''Fig. 1: Ilona Németh installs her work //Breathing Floor// at the exhibition project //Reconstructions//. Photo: SNG Archive.'' |
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| | Due to the circumstances of its creation and short history, the Other Media collection contains various works from the 1960s and later. Some of them can be found on the intersection of conceptual art and sculpture, such as environments, objects and installations. Also included are time-based works such as films, video art and intermedia works such as documentaries, happenings and performances. The focus of the collection allows for future acquisitions of artworks combining multiple artistic approaches, as well as interdisciplinary works. Through the collaboration of several professional activities that enrich curatorial knowledge with the necessary technological and media skills, it will also be possible to engage in a more systematic collection and exploration of performance, sound and internet art. For this, however, new ways of recording and storing data need to be developed. |
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| ==== New media documentation v.1 ==== | ==== New media documentation v.1 ==== |
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| Traditional gallery documentation in collections management systems (CMS) is not a good fit for documenting new media. The data structures of most documentation schemes and collections management systems have been created to meet the needs of 'old media' – paintings, drawings or sculptures. The standards and rules reflected in the CMS we use do not allow us to record the complexities of new media in detail, or make rather complicated. | Traditional gallery documentation in collections management systems (CMS) is not suitable for documenting new media. The data structures of most documentation schemes and collections management systems have been designed to meet the needs of painting, drawing and sculpture. The standards and rules reflected in the CMS we use do not allow us to record the complexity of new media in detail, or make it quite complicated. |
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| The Central Register of Works of Art is an heir to the tradition (or an attempt at) central planning of the socialist state; it is both a union catalogue and a collections management system used by all state-registered galleries in Slovakia, developed and maintained by the Slovak National Gallery and an external development team. The CMS uses one scheme to catalogue all the different collections, created according to the decree of Ministry of Culture (defining the minimum set of fields for cataloguing records for Slovak museums and galleries), rules and guidelines inspired by the //Cataloging of Cultural Objects// and //Categories for the Description of Works of Art// (CDWA) standards.[(https://vraweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CatalogingCulturalObjectsFullv2.pdf, https://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/)] | The Central Register of Works of Art (CEDVU) is an heir to the tradition (or attempt at) central planning of the socialist state; it is both a union catalogue and a collections management system used by all state-registered galleries in Slovakia and developed and maintained by the Slovak National Gallery and an external development team. The CMS uses one scheme for cataloguing all different collections, created according to the decree of the Ministry of Culture (defining a minimum set of fields for cataloguing records for Slovak museums and galleries), rules and guidelines inspired by the standards //Cataloguing of Cultural Objects// and //Categories for the Description of Works of Art// (CDWA).[(https://vraweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CatalogingCulturalObjectsFullv2.pdf, https://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/cdwa/)] |
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| This scheme hasn't been able to ingest the changes brought about by new media – the diversity of materials, technologies, or concepts. This is partly due to historical debt of the collections that focus (at least partly) on acquiring new media - apart from the IM (Other Media) collection of Slovak National Gallery, at the //Intermedia collection// of The Museum of Art in Žilina. While many seminal and notable artworks have been acquired in periods when collecting has been on the upward curve, there are still gaps in these collections. Paying attention to uncommon materials and hard-to-maintain technology used by many of the artworks wasn't the focus. Time allocated to the curators taking care of the artworks was always running low, expert knowledge of conservators having to deal with unknown material was missing, just as the documentation experts haven't been used to contemporary art terms describing the artworks. Many of the intermedia art positions in the collection are missing precisely because the expertise to preserve them is lacking. The challenge for the future will therefore also be to fill the gaps in the collection, which should at least to some extent reflect the development of art. | This system has not been able to embrace the changes brought about by new media - the diversity of materials, technologies and concepts. This is partly due to the historical debt of collections that (at least partially) focus on the acquisition of new media - except for the Slovak National Gallery's Other Media collection in the Intermedia collection of the Museum of Art in Žilina. Although many seminal and notable works were acquired in periods when collecting was on an upward curve, there are still gaps in these collections. The uncommon materials and difficult-to-maintain technologies used in many works of art have not been a focus of attention. The time allocated to curators caring for artworks has always been inadequate, the expertise of conservators who have had to deal with unfamiliar material has been lacking, just as documentation specialists have not been accustomed to contemporary art terms describing artworks. Many of the intermedia art positions in the collection are missing precisely because the expertise to preserve them is lacking. The challenge for the future will therefore also be to fill the gaps in the collection, which should at least to some extent reflect the development of art. |
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| At the level of documentation, one example of the drawbacks of the rules and schema we use is the lack of description of the artwork on the level of components. At its best, there are only measurements of the components that make up the artwork, while recording the material and other attributes specific to the components are missing. Being exhibited sparsely, many of the artworks haven't been photographed and installation manuals are scarce up until recently, and even if there has been some, it wasn't part of the cataloging record in the CMS, or shared on a institutional storage. | At the documentation level, one example of the shortcomings of the rules and schema we use is the lack of a component-level description of the work. At best, only measurements of the components that make up the artwork are provided, with no record of the material and other component-specific attributes. Because they are sparsely exhibited, many works have not been photographed, and installation guides have until recently been scarce and, if any, have not been part of the cataloging record in CMS or shared on an institutional repository. |
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| In recent years, this has begun to change thanks to projects and initiatives that are paving the way for the preservation and documentation of new media on the basis of collaboration between experts from different fields. | In recent years, this has begun to change, thanks to projects and initiatives that are paving the way for the preservation and documentation of new media on the basis of the collaboration of experts from different fields. |
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| {{sng-1.jpg?640}} | {{sng-1.jpg?640}} |
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| ''Fig. 1: Catalogue record of Marek Kvetan, //ECHO//, in CEDVU collections management system.'' | ''Fig. 2: Catalogue record of Marek Kvetan, //ECHO//, in the CEDVU collections management system.'' |
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| ==== Reconstructions ==== | ==== Reconstruction ==== |
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| One of the attempts at documenting the IM (Other Media) collection was the Reconstructions exhibition project.[(https://www.sng.sk/en/exhibitions/653_reconstructions)] This "working exhibition" running through September and October 2015 was aimed both at presenting some artworks from the IM (Other Media) and Modern and Contemporary Plastic Art collections to the public (changing in the course of time, not being exhibited all at once) and at digitally documenting the process and resulting installations as part of the Digital gallery project. One of the results was video documentation from the installation process and informal discussions with the artists regarding their setup, along with multiple installation views, created for the print needs. Lacking detailed and rigorous process, the resulting videos are only partially useful as means to document the installation process or artist's motivation behind using materials (with the common question of whether some components are replaceable by other – current – materials being one of the most pressing ones). | One of the attempts to document the Other Media collection was the exhibition project //Reconstructions//.[(https://www.sng.sk/en/exhibitions/653_reconstructions)] The aim of this "working exhibition," which took place in 2015, was both to present to the public some of the works from the Other Media and Modern and Contemporary Art collections (which changed over time, they were not exhibited all at once), and to digitally document the process and the resulting installations as part of the Digital Gallery project. One outcome was video documentation of the installation process and informal interviews with the artists, along with multiple views of the installation created for print. Lacking a required rigour, the resulting videos are only partially usable as a means of documenting the installation process and the artists' motivation for using the materials (one of the most pressing issues being the common question of whether certain components are replaceable with other - contemporary - materials). |
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| {{sng-2.jpg?640}} | ==== Wikification of new media documentation ==== |
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| ''Fig. 2: Ilona Németh installing her work //Breathing Floor// at the //Reconstructions// exhibition project. Photo archive of SNG.'' | Projects like the New Media Museums provide a good opportunity to look at the ways in which other institutions are tackling similar issues to ours. During our initial meetings with Dušan Barok, we were inspired by the best practices he shared with us, one example being SFMOMA Media Wiki. At SFMOMA, the MediaWiki platform is used as a documentation tool "to help represent the aboutness of contemporary art through reimagined, open-ended object records that can accommodate differing degrees of variability in art, and for which collaboration among individuals and teams is key."[(https://stedelijkstudies.com/journal/reimagining-the-object-record-sfmomas-mediawiki/)] The inherently unstable nature of new media is reflected and supported by the wiki, a low-barrier, collaborative tool used to document a list of equipment, technical narrative, software, installation guide, exhibition history with photo documentation, and multiple iterations of an artwork. Each iteration (the artwork's installation in a different environment and setting) is documented in the wiki, hence the need to change other parts of the documentation. If any of the iterations (artwork exhibitions) over time needed to replace or update any component of the artwork, the changes need to be reflected in the installation guide or software section of the documentation on the wiki page. The wiki does not replace the CMS, licensing database, or digital asset management systems (DAMS) used to store images from the exhibition. It serves as an interface between these various systems and processes. |
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| ==== Wikification of new media documentation ==== | {{sng-3.jpg?640}} |
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| Projects like New Media Museums provide a good opportunity to look into the ways how other institutions deal with problems similar to yours. During the initial meetings with Dušan Barok, we got inspired by the best practices he shared with us, one example being the SFMOMA Media wiki. At SFMOMA, the MediaWiki platform is used as a documentation tool "//to help represent the aboutness of contemporary art through reimagined, open-ended object records that can accommodate differing degrees of variability in art, and for which collaboration among individuals and teams is key.//"[(https://stedelijkstudies.com/journal/reimagining-the-object-record-sfmomas-mediawiki/)] The inherently unstable nature of new media is reflected and supported by the wiki - an low-barrier, collaborative tool used to document the equipment list, technical narrative, software, installation manual, exhibition history with photo documentation and multiple artwork iterations. Every iteration (artwork setup in different setting and environment) is documented in the wiki, resulting in the need to change other parts of the documentation. If a software or hardware component of the artwork had to be replaced or upgraded in course of the time at one of the iterations (artwork exhibitions), the changes in the artwork setup need to be reflected in the installation manual, or software documentation part of the wiki page. The wiki doesn't replace CMS, licensing database, or digital asset management systems (DAMS) used to store images from the exhibition. It serves as an interface in between these different systems and processes. | ''Fig. 3: Marek Kvetan, //ECHO// (2017). Photo: Adam Šakový.'' |
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| ==== Documentation change ==== | ==== Documentation change ==== |
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| Along with participation in the New Media Museums project and inspiration from SFMOMA, the impulse to change documentation of new media artworks in SNG came from the long term focus on contemporary art acquisitions, the plan for a major upgrade of the CEDVU CMS and moving of the collection to the new depository (in the newly reconstructed SNG building). | In addition to participation in the New Media Museum project and the inspiration of SFMOMA, the impetus for the change in the documentation of new media works at the SNG was the long-term focus on the acquisition of contemporary art, the plan for a major modernisation of the CEDVU CMS and the relocation of the collection to a new depository (in the newly renovated SNG building). |
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| In 2021 SNG received a generous donation to acquire artworks from five Slovak contemporary artists. The acquisition and exhibition of these artworks (//You Can't Buy a Butterfly//[(https://www.sng.sk/en/exhibitions/3049_you-cant-buy-a-butterfly-contemporary-art-donated-by-tatra-banka)]) was a perfect chance to capture complex information related to their installation, technical components and other aspects: from A to Z – Artist's idea to almost Zero questions. Considering this complexity, we realized that one person (the curator) can't do this alone, as it is the case with traditional artworks such as paintings or drawings. Documenting artworks from new media collections in a new way is based on teamwork. | In 2021, the SNG received a generous donation for the acquisition of artworks from five contemporary Slovak artists. The acquisition and exhibition of these artworks (//You Can't Buy a Butterfly//[(https://www.sng.sk/en/exhibitions/3049_you-cant-buy-a-butterfly-contemporary-art-donated-by-tatra-banka)]) was an ideal opportunity to capture the complex information related to their installation, technical elements and other aspects: from A to Z - from the Artist's Idea to almost Zero questions. Given this complexity, we realized that one person (the curator) cannot do it alone, as is the case with traditional artworks such as paintings or drawings. Documenting artworks from new media collections in a new way is based on teamwork. |
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| One of the acquired artworks is a triptych of wooden chests from the Slovak artist Marek Kvetan entitled //ECHO//. It is a multimedia installation, a triptych of found objects of the wooden wedding chests with the original perforation (original folk motifs), enhanced with hardware and software (diodes, loudspeakers, a 3-channel light & sound program in a loop). Edition 1/1. | One of the acquired works is a triptych of wooden chests, //ECHO//, by the Slovak artist Marek Kvetan. It is a multimedia installation, a triptych of found objects of wooden wedding chests with original perforations (folk motifs), enriched with hardware and software (diodes, speakers, 3-channel light and sound program in a loop). |
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| We use the //ECHO// as a case study for the new documentation. Besides the standard metadata such as description, title, date, technique, measurements, or material, we added three important content pillars: artist intention, installation manual and technical rider. Members of the team had two meetings before the gathering and recording the information and process. The group consisted of the curator, the restorer, and colleagues from the digital technologies and installation departments. | We use //ECHO// as a case study for new documentation. In addition to standard metadata such as description, title, date, technique, measurements and material, we added three important content pillars: artist's intent, installation guide and technical rider. Team members had two meetings before gathering and recording the information and process. The group consisted of a curator, a conservator-restorer, and colleagues from the digital technology and installation departments. |
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| {{sng-3.jpg?640}} | === Artist's intent === |
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| ''Fig. 3: Marek Kvetan, //ECHO// (2017). Photo: Adam Šakový.'' | In an interview with the artist, Lucia G. Stach, curator of the Other Media collection, asked him questions such as: |
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| === Artist intention === | //Why did you choose the material of wooden chests in conjunction with audiovisual elements, how does it relate to the folk theme?// |
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| The curator of the IM (Other Media) collection Lucia G. Stach interviewed the artist, asking questions such as: | //What if one of the chests is damaged? What are some tips for a future restorer?// |
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| //Why did you choose the material of wooden chests in connection with audio-visual elements, how is it related to the folk theme?// | //What should the sound volume be?// |
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| //What if one of the chests is damaged? What is the advice for the future restorer?// | //Should the chests be installed in a certain order?// |
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| //What should be the volume of the sound?// | The findings include: |
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| //Should the chests be installed in a particular order?// | * These are wooden chests in which, according to tradition, the bride receives a gift; the artist collects these chests and used three of them for this particular work. |
| | * A three-channel light and sound programme as a reflection of "trávnice" (haymaking songs), traditional Slovak folk songs sung in meadows in mountainous areas of Slovakia, where a group of singers responds to the singing of other groups as an echo. The installation of three chests in a large room is ideal to make the sound effect noticeable. |
| | * It was never meant to be installed in complete darkness so that the visitor could see the beauty and age of the chests and their ornaments. |
| | * The sounds were inspired by the original shepherd songs of Svetozár Stračina, although they are all digital - even the sound of the shepherd's pipe (fujara) is artificial. |
| | * It is the arch that bears the digital mark of our traditions. |
| | * Light follows sound. |
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| Interesting findings: | === Installation guide === |
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| * These are wooden chests in which, according to the traditions, a bride gets an endowment; the artist collects these chests and used three of them for this specific artwork. | In this case, the installation instructions were not crucial because the artwork consists of only three components that need to be wired for electricity. However, it should include information on space requirements and constraints along with photo documentation. |
| * A 3-channel light & sound program as a reflection of "trávnice" ("haymaking songs") - traditional Slovak folk songs performed on meadows of the mountainous regions of Slovakia, where a group of singers answers the singing of other groups as an echo. Installing the three chests in a big room is ideal so that the sound effect is noticeable. | |
| * It was never meant to be installed in complete darkness, so that the visitor can see the beauty and the age of the chests and their ornaments. | |
| * Original shepherd songs by Svetozár Stračina have been an inspiration for the sounds, though all of them are digital – even the sound of the shepherd's pipe (fujara) is artificial. | |
| * It is an arch carrying a digital mark of our traditions. | |
| * The light traces the sound. | |
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| {{sng-4.jpg?640}} | {{sng-4.jpg?640}} |
| ''Fig. 4: Marek Kvetan setting up //ECHO// at the //You Can't Buy a Butterfly// exhibition. Photo: Juraj Starovecký.'' | ''Fig. 4: Marek Kvetan setting up //ECHO// at the //You Can't Buy a Butterfly// exhibition. Photo: Juraj Starovecký.'' |
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| === Installation manual === | === Technical rider === |
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| In this case, the installation manual was not crucial, since the artwork consists of only three components to be plugged into electricity. But it should cover the information about the space requirements and limits, along with photo documentation. | This part of the documentation was the most challenging. It started with the author's statement "just plug it in and adjust the volume" and ended with a six-page long instructions. Our colleagues required as much detail as possible about the LED lights, MP3 player, impulse source and radio frequency controller. The artist who worked with the sound and lighting programmer was invited for an interview and his contact details are listed in the guide. |
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| === Technical Rider === | |
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| This part of the documentation was the most challenging one. It started with the artist's claim "just plug it in and set the volume" and ended with a six-page manual. Our colleagues required as many details about the LED lights, the MP3 player, the source of impulses, and the radio frequency controller as possible. The artist who cooperated with a programmer for sound and light elements of the artworks was invited for an interview and his contact information is listed in the manual. | |
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| ==== Lessons learned ==== | ==== Lessons learned ==== |
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| Prepare the questions for the artist and his collaborators in advance. Otherwise you might end up with a three-hour video interview with the artist, without answers reflecting the need for documentation. | Prepare questions in advance for the artist and their collaborators. Otherwise, you may end up with a three-hour video interview with the artist with no answers that reflect the need for documentation. |
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| Invite colleagues from other departments to be part of the process – their knowledge will help you raise more questions useful for the documentation. | Invite colleagues from other departments to join the process - their knowledge will help you ask more questions useful for documentation. |
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| Plan for it – all of this is time-consuming. | Plan for it - it's all time consuming. |
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| Be uncompromising in the quality of audio and video recording. The effort is useless when the audio is unclear to understand all words or the images don't show specific details. | Be uncompromising in audio and video recording quality. Effort is wasted when the audio is too unclear to understand all the words or when the images do not show specific details. |
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| Transcribe the essential information from the recordings into text. | Transcribe the essential information from the recordings into text. |
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| {{sng-5.jpg?640}} | ==== Next steps ==== |
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| ''Fig. 5: Wiki page for Marek Kvetan, //ECHO//.'' | It is essential that this pilot project becomes an ongoing internal process for documenting all newly acquired or exhibited new media artworks. All stakeholders should be informed about it and invited to participate. The next step is to upgrade our CMS and its data structure to be able to record the specifics of new media, expand the vocabularies (material, type of work), and modify the documentation methodology (describing the components of an artwork as items with specific materials and dimensions). The team should agree on templates for documentation on the wiki, establish a common template structure and quality standards for A/V recordings. Each artwork to be acquired for the Other Media collection will then be documented on the wiki using this common template (along with the CMS record). As we cannot expect all artworks acquired for the Other Media collection to be documented in this way in the near future, we will develop a plan to prioritise the artworks and select those that are most challenging to install or interpret. |
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| ==== Next steps ==== | {{sng-5.jpg?640}} |
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| It is crucial to scale this pilot into an ongoing internal process, used to document all newly acquired or exhibited new media artworks. Everyone involved should be briefed about it and asked to participate. Another step is to upgrade our CMS and its data structure, so that it is able to record the specifics of new media, extend the vocabularies (material, work type) and adjust documentation methodology (describing components of the artwork as items with specific material or dimensions). The team should agree on templates for the documentation on wiki, setting a common structure of the template and quality standards for audio and video recordings. After that, every artwork to be acquired into the IM (Other Media) collection will be documented in wiki in this common template (along with a record in the CMS). As we can't expect all the artworks acquired to the IM (Other Media) collection to be documented this way in near future, we will devise a plan, setting priorities for the artworks and selecting those which are the most challenging from the installation or interpretation perspective. | ''Fig. 5: Wiki page for Marek Kvetan, //ECHO//.'' |
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| ~~REFNOTES~~ | ~~REFNOTES~~ |
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| See also the video presentation [[sng|You Can't Buy a Butterfly. New Methods for Registering Acquisitions of Intermedia Artworks at the Slovak National Gallery]] by Lucia Gregorová Stach and Mária Bohumelová in this volume. | See also video presentation [[sng|You Can't Buy a Butterfly]] by Lucia Gregorová Stach and Mária Bohumelová in this volume. |
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