Networked Art Practice After Digital Preservation

Over the last six decades, networked art practice has anticipated and responded to the changing material conditions of communications systems, infrastructures and technologies. Whether pre-internet mail art or born- digital net art, changes to these material conditions have been frequent and far-reaching and extend to the preservation as well as the production of networked art practice. As with other contemporary art practices associated with the so-called dematerialisation of the art object, the material and, at times, ideological dimensions and proprieties of these works have challenged existing approaches, methods and protocols of art conservation. This paper aims to unpack existing digital preservation efforts concerning online and offline exchanges, while also feeling out the implications of data mining techniques and human-machine learning within preservation strategies and how they affect artistic and curatorial agency and authorship. We also report on initial findings from our recent workshop at ISEA 2020 where we embarked on case study research of The Museum of Ordure (2001 onwards) by Stuart Brisley, Geoff Cox and Adrian Ward and 6 Months Without (2018- 2019) by Nastja Säde Rönkkö. Overall, this paper will contribute to our broader and longer-term research project tracing the edges and boundaries of networked art practice after digital preservation. http://networkedart.blo