Who Cares for Net Art?
This video illuminates the challenges in preserving born-digital art
Net art is a vital yet vulnerable part of our digital cultural heritage. Released on 7 November, on the occasion of World Digital Preservation Day, the video ‘Who Cares for Net Art?’ explores the pressing need to preserve it. As digital art becomes a core component of museum collections worldwide, it encounters significant challenges related to rapid technological change, obsolescence, and the absence of standardised preservation practices. The video, part of LI-MA’s Collaborative Infrastructure for Sustainable Access to Digital Art project (2021-2024), examines the specific challenges faced by net art due to rapid technological change, obsolescence, and the lack of standardised preservation practices.
A Closer Look at Net Art Preservation
As digital art gains prominence in museum collections worldwide, net art is at high risk. Its reliance on specific software, browsers, and hardware leaves it constantly exposed to the dangers of degradation and obsolescence. This video brings the complexities of preserving digital artworks to light, aiming to spark action and deepen awareness within the media art community and beyond. Who Cares for Net Art? explains why preserving net art is essential and offers insights into what’s required for its sustainable future.
Building Collaborative Infrastructures
This video is one of many tools, texts, and resources developed through LI-MA’s Collaborative Infrastructure for Sustainable Access to Digital Art project (2021-2024). Funded by the project, this initiative brings together Dutch institutions and media artists to build long-term solutions for digital art preservation, fostering sustainability and accessibility.
Who Cares for Net Art? is available now on LI-MA’s website and YouTube channel. In the video, we explore the future of net art preservation from the artist's point of view and discover how art and technology intersect in a quest to maintain our digital heritage in a constantly changing world. Alongside its release, LI-MA will be hosting a workshop on net art preservation to share findings and gather insights. This event offers a vital platform for digital art enthusiasts to engage with pressing preservation issues and explore the project’s broader goals.
A Call for Support
LI-MA is at the forefront of building sustainable frameworks to protect these dynamic works. We remain dedicated to preserving the legacy of media art, yet our future is uncertain without structural funding. The completion of the Collaborative Infrastructure project has strengthened our mission, but sustainable support is essential to protect the expertise and digital heritage we’ve built. LI-MA invites partners, artists, and advocates to share Who Cares for Net Art?, raising awareness about these challenges and amplifying our call for continued support.
Header: Still from Who Cares for Net Art?
