“Unstable” Media and Future-Proofing Media Art

What is sustainable in relation to so-called unstable media? 

This question lies at the core of FUTURE PROOF MEDIA ART, a collaborative research project between LI-MA and Dutch media artist Geert Mul. The project was developed alongside Mul’s retrospective exhibition Geert Mul, Matchmaker – 25 Years Media Art, presented at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. It focused on exploring how software-based and interactive media artworks can be preserved, documented, and made accessible for future display – not only for curators and conservators but also for artists themselves.

Born-digital art frequently defies traditional models of preservation. These works rarely exist simply as discrete files or static objects. Even when stored digitally, their execution often depends on specific hardware, operating systems, and interfaces. Once these become obsolete, the work risks vanishing. This temporal nature – akin to a performance or installation – underscores the urgency of rethinking how media art is documented and preserved.

What does it mean to preserve digital art when the medium itself is in constant flux?

Preservation is not limited to upgrading outdated technology. It involves a holistic strategy that combines documentation, scripting, and hardware stewardship. Each version of the work must be recorded through image, sound and text – capturing not only the technical aspects, but also the experience and meaning from both the artist’s and audience’s perspectives.

Paradoxically, sustainability in digital art preservation often involves timely investment in hardware. When content and technology align optimally, that configuration should be captured, backed up, and – where possible – kept running. Preservation in this context is not just about storage; it is also about timing, responsiveness and intervention.

How can we safeguard the core identity of a digital work across time?

For media artworks that thrive on change and interaction, preservation depends on the creation of scripts or notations. These may include software code, installation instructions, interaction diagrams, and conceptual descriptions. They serve as the authoritative source for reconstruction, enabling the work to be restaged independently of its original technical infrastructure. The ‘script’ becomes the master – a score for re-enactment.

In FUTURE PROOF MEDIA ART, the development of artwork-specific scripts was central. Through close collaboration with Mul, LI-MA was able to map the conceptual and technical components of each artwork, supporting future presentations and forming the basis for wider conservation efforts. These strategies were openly shared through workshops and symposia, encouraging artists and institutions alike to adopt similar methodologies.

Preservation: Who Holds Responsibility?

When digital artworks are not held by museums, who ensures their preservation? Typically, museum collections come with institutional protocols and conservation responsibilities. However, most media artworks – particularly complex, software-based pieces – remain with artists, especially when not acquired by public collections. In these cases, it is often the artist who must assume responsibility for their maintenance and future viability.

This question was actively explored in the production of Matchmaker at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (5 November 2016 – 12 December 2017). The exhibition brought together nine of Mul’s interactive and generative works, creating a unique opportunity to interrogate preservation in practice. Each work was studied, documented, and supported with installation scripts, serving both as preservation tools and as guides for future exhibition.

Research: Developing Scripts and Sharing Knowledge

The research phase focused on developing and testing preservation scripts for interactive media works. These scripts addressed both conceptual and technical components – from interface behaviour and user interaction to spatial layout and environmental dependencies. Mul’s body of work, produced over three decades and spanning projections, software, generative systems and sculptural media installations, offered a diverse set of case studies.

The findings were shared during public events. The collaborative research culminated in FUTURE PROOF!? Transformation Digital Art 2017, a two-day symposium held on 8 & 9 February 2017 at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. Organised in parallel with the Matchmaker retrospective, the symposium brought together artists, conservators, curators and researchers to discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding digital preservation.

These forums engaged international participants – from artists and students to producers and institutional staff – reflecting the broad relevance of the topic. LI-MA has since extended this research to support the preservation of works by other Dutch media artists, continuing to build a shared foundation of best practices.

A Shared Cultural Responsibility

The selected case studies from Geert Mul’s œuvre represent key contributions to Dutch born-digital heritage. Created by a first generation of digital-native artists, these works are emblematic of a time when image analysis, real-time interaction, and generative processes defined new artistic possibilities. Yet despite their cultural value, such works are rarely acquired by public collections, leaving long-term care in the hands of the artists themselves.

How can institutions and artists work together to ensure the longevity of such works? This project emphasises the need for new models of collaboration, responsibility, and infrastructure, ones that reflect the fluid and contingent nature of digital media art.