ABSTRACT
Documentation is an essential tool for the preservation of time-based media art, ensuring that these artworks, with their inherent variability and change, can continue to be displayed in the future and retain their meaning through changes in technology and context. This chapter is based on the authors’ own experience as well as on their discussions with other colleagues who have generously given their time, including Fernanda D’Agostino, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Deena Engel, New York, USA; Tom Ensom, London, UK. The authors offer an overview of the history of conservation documentation, the importance of documentation in the context of contemporary art conservation, how these practices evolved over time, and emerging approaches. The chapter covers documentation steps that can be taken at the different stages of an artwork’s life within a collection context. It shares basic information on how to manage and share documentation and some of the current limitations on sharing documentation publicly.
