The race to save digital art

The race is on to save digital art against the fast pace of technological change. Scientists are searching for ways to preserve today's most innovative digital artworks. 

Experts are warning that some of Britain's contemporary artistic landmarks will be no more than memories within a decade unless digital artwork can be successfully archived to stop them from degrading. In an article for The Guardian, Dr David Anderson, who is leading efforts to save the more complex artworks of the digital age states that "Past generations captured who they were and what they did via museums and books, but the pace of technological development in the digital age has now outstripped our capacity for preservation."

However, some artists are happy for their work to have a short lifespan, and accept that its temporary nature is a key part of the experience for viewers. Digital video artist Simon Payne (photograph of his video Vice Versa Et Cetera above), believes that some digital artists are almost like performance artists, that they make art that is ephemeral, and "are dedicated to the idea that it will not last".