CONSERVATION

Use these guidelines when when thinking about your work's lifespan and how it can be looked after in the future

Much research and work has been done into conservation for the media arts after the pieces have been created. Please see below a list of links to this research and some key points to remember:

Key Points

• Consider the lifespan of each of your components, how could this be lengthened? Could you make a different material choice that would lengthen the lifespan?

• Consider how much maintenance each of your works will need throughout its lifetime? Could you make different materials choices or component choices that would help elongate this?

Selling an artwork

• When you sell an artwork, maker sure that the buyer understands its lifespan and what repairs may be necessary as time evolves.

• Sell each artwork with a contract. Within the contract you should state the guarantee period for the artwork, within which the artist will fix the work free of charge. And state that it is the collector's duty to pay for the repair of the piece after the period has expired if a piece were to go faulty. This will reduce the piece becoming redundant and will give clarity to both parties concerning each others responsibilities. 

• An example of an artist contract of sale can be found here add in the relevant information about your media art and adapt it to suit your personal needs.

The below is reference from Rafael Lozano Hemmer’s 'Best practices for conservation of media art from an artist's perspective'
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• Create a Bill of Materials; list all the components in the piece, write its brand, model, function, URL and image, write if the piece is replaceable or irreplaceable for the pieces function

• Use 'Off the Shelf' components that are abundant and open source and so can be replaced easily, for example use Arduino or Raspberry Pi as your microcontrollers

• If you can program an IDLE MODE into your piece that will put the artwork to sleep when there is not anyone around to view it. This will not only save on energy consumption but will also help to protect the components in the piece, so less repairs.

• Create a box for every artwork that has spare parts and all the specialist tools that you need to repair it if necessary and store this in your studio. This should include; a video of the work in action for reference, special tools, adapters or components, flash drives and a manual.

• Always make sure that the piece has a surge protector on the socket that it is plugged into as this will prevent the outside electronics from frying your power supplies.