2024: A Turbulent Year for LI-MA
Update on the Future of LI-MA
The past year has been an existential one for LI-MA – Living Media Art. Our future in its current form is under threat due to a lack of structural funding. Despite extensive efforts, sufficient support for LI-MA’s distribution and presentation activities has not been achieved. We can continue our preservation tasks.
Significant Impact on Media Art in the Netherlands and Beyond
Since its inception, LI-MA has been dedicated to researching, distributing, presenting, and preserving media art, with a mission to ensure its accessibility and visibility for future generations. However, the absence of structural funding has forced us to (temporarily) scale back our activities related to distribution and presentation. We will use 2025 to reconsider and continue working towards the structural support needed to fully resume our goals and activities.
An Irreplaceable Role in Media Art
Over the past twelve years, LI-MA has become a vital hub of expertise and networking in the media art field. Its unique infrastructure supports the management, preservation, and accessibility of media art, recognized by leading international institutions such as Tate (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), MoMA (New York), the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam). National heritage networks, including the Foundation for the Conservation of Contemporary Art (SBMK) and the Dutch Digital Heritage Network (NDE), and artists also acknowledge LI-MA's irreplaceable value.
Continuation of Preservation Services
Despite funding challenges, LI-MA has secured the means to continue its vital preservation work in 2025, ensuring the safeguarding of media art for future generations. This effort includes managing the Dutch digital depot for media art, a treasure trove of over 20,000 artworks by 1,000 artists across more than 50 collections, while actively supporting museums, collections, and artists in the management of digital art. LI-MA remains committed to preserving archives and knowledge that chronicle the rich history of media art in the Netherlands since the 1970s, fostering specialized expertise, and training the next generation of professionals in this dynamic field. Additionally, our annual Transformation Digital Art Symposium will continue to serve as a vital international platform for discourse on the preservation of digital art, strengthening LI-MA's role as a global leader in media art preservation.
2024: Milestones and Challenges
Despite financial uncertainty, 2024 was a year of remarkable achievements for LI-MA. We successfully completed the Collaborative Infrastructure for Sustainable Accessibility of Digital Art project, working with over 50 partners to develop future-proof solutions. Professionals were trained to advance the field of digital art preservation, ensuring the next generation is equipped to meet its challenges. The exhibition REBOOT – Pioneering Digital Art at Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam was a standout success, drawing over 50,000 visitors. LI-MA was invited to curate the Dutch Pavilion at the 15th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea, reaching a large international audience. Furthermore, the year marked a significant milestone with the celebration of a decade of showcasing emerging media art talent through LI-MA’s recurring public programme, reaffirming our dedication to fostering creativity and innovation in media art.
A Call for Structural Support
LI-MA remains committed to the visibility, contextualization, and preservation of media art, as well as fostering innovation for future generations of artists. However, structural funding is essential to safeguard this vital heritage and sustain innovation. LI-MA calls on policymakers and stakeholders to secure the future of media art and its creators.
Thumbnail and header image: still from melanie bonajo, Night Soil – Economy of Love, 2015
