Eyebeam Resurfaces: The Future of the Digital Archive
Curated by Lindsay Howard and Jonathan Minard
Opening Panel/Reception: Thursday January 10, 7:00pm–9:00pm
*$25.00 suggested donation for the opening reception and screening. All proceeds are 100% tax-deductible and proceeds will go toward the organization’s recovery efforts. Make a $25 donation!
Eyebeam Art + Technology Center nearly lost its digital archive in Hurricane Sandy’s record flood that swept through Chelsea. From January 8–12, the organization opens its doors for an examination of the recovery effort led by professional conservators and volunteers from the community. With a lineup of lectures and workshops, a documentary film screening, and an exhibition of works salvaged from the collection, the event will offer the public a unique insight into the challenges of digital preservation while articulating the significance of Eyebeam's archive representing 15 years of media art history.
In considering the significance of this exhibition, curators Lindsay Howard and Jonathan Minard comment, “By sharing the story of Eyebeam's archive and the community effort to save this collection of digital history, we are engaging in a conversation about the long term future of digital media and what it takes to preserve the artifacts of our time."
Drawing from a pool of more than 1,500 DVDs, VHS cassettes, Mini DVs, and digital storage media, Howard and Minard have selected the most unexpected, exciting, and rare material to feature in a multi-channel installation, on view between January 8–12. These selections include work by renowned Eyebeam artists such as Golan Levin, Zach Lieberman, Mariko Mori, and Alexander Galloway, in addition to documentation of events, lectures, performances, and interviews.
On Thursday, January 10 from 7:00pm–9:00pm, Eyebeam will host a fundraising event for its archival digitization effort, set to start early 2013. Experts from organizations including AV Preserve will speak on a range of topics related to digital preservation, as well as the influence of Eyebeam within the field of contemporary art. The fundraiser will also feature an exclusive preview of Jonathan Minard’s Archive, a documentary film that examines humanity’s dependence on digital memory. Tickets to the evening event are available for $25.00 on Brown Paper Tickets or may be purchased at the door. All tickets are totally tax-deductible and proceeds will go toward the organization’s recovery efforts.
Opportunities to sign up for workshops on digital preservation for artists, collectors and organizations will be available throughout the course of the exhibition.
Press:
Eyebeam Art + Technology Center turns archive rescue effort into an exhibit, The Verge 30 Must-See Shows in 2013, ARTINFO Give and Take: Eyebeam Art + Technology Center Reflects on Hurricane Sandy's Toll, National Alliance for Media Arts & Culture