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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 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. | 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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| | ''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. | 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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| ''Fig. 1: Catalogue record of Marek Kvetan, //ECHO//, in the CEDVU collections management system.'' | ''Fig. 2: Catalogue record of Marek Kvetan, //ECHO//, in the CEDVU collections management system.'' |
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| ==== Reconstruction ==== | ==== Reconstruction ==== |
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| 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). | 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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| ''Fig. 2: Ilona Németh installs her work //Breathing Floor// at the exhibition project //Reconstructions//. Photo: SNG Archive.'' | |
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| ==== Wikification of new media documentation ==== | ==== Wikification of new media documentation ==== |
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| 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. | 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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| | ''Fig. 3: Marek Kvetan, //ECHO// (2017). Photo: Adam Šakový.'' |
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| ==== Documentation change ==== | ==== Documentation change ==== |
| 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. | 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 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), in the edition of 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 //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. | 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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| ''Fig. 3: Marek Kvetan, //ECHO// (2017). Photo: Adam Šakový.'' | |
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| === Artist's intent === | === Artist's intent === |
| * It is the arch that bears the digital mark of our traditions. | * It is the arch that bears the digital mark of our traditions. |
| * Light follows sound. | * Light follows sound. |
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| ''Fig. 4: Marek Kvetan setting up //ECHO// at the //You Can't Buy a Butterfly// exhibition. Photo: Juraj Starovecký.'' | |
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| === Installation guide === | === Installation guide === |
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| 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. | 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. |
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| | ''Fig. 4: Marek Kvetan setting up //ECHO// at the //You Can't Buy a Butterfly// exhibition. Photo: Juraj Starovecký.'' |
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| === Technical rider === | === Technical rider === |
| 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 essential to scale this pilot project into an ongoing internal process that will be used to document all newly acquired or exhibited new media artworks. All those involved 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 audio and visual recordings. Then each artwork to be acquired for the Other Media collection will be documented on the wiki in this common template (along with the CMS record). Since 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 prioritize the artworks and select those that are most challenging to install or interpret. | ''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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