Developing Metadata for Software-based Art (DMSA)
In “Developing Metadata for Software-based Art” the project team plans to explore several questions related to metadata and description of software-based artworks, including: What information about an artwork must be collected to support its future exhibition? When, how, and in what form should this information be collected? And what specific role will this information play in future access, whether through emulation/virtualization or alternative strategies? Unlike typical archival objects, access to software-based artworks typically occurs through gallery presentation of the artwork or—in the case of the museum’s three web artworks—online. Because of their status as artworks, software-based pieces are not only expected to reproduce a functional experience, but also an aesthetic experience true to the artist’s original intent (maintaining properties deemed significant such as duration, colors, screen resolution, and speed of movement). Conservation staff must also ensure that they are capturing the information resources necessary to understand these specifications in future and ideally reproduce the work to these specifications. In order to limit a potentially massive scope, the team will select representative artworks to investigate.