Mr. Nam June Paik's collection goes to Washington

(....borrowing -  and twisting a little...-  the title from the NY Times article on Paik's new collection at the Smithsonian).

In one of HASTAC III extended workshops, on image analytics, there was a great discussion on preservation of digital forms, brought about during the presentation of the Ninth Letter. Indeed, that will be the subject of another post.

As we explore new art forms enabled by new technologies, we should be concerned with the preservation of those artworks requiring technology that is now 'ancient'... such as black and white television sets or arcade games.

Nam June Paik's television sets and Polaroid Cameras are among those collections that unquestionably need to be preserved.. and the decision has been made - they are going to the Smithsonian. The artist's estate solicited museum proposals on how the archive would be used. Among others, the candidates included the Museum of Modern Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

So not only was the artist's estate concerned with *preservation* but also with ideas on how to *use* the collection. Interaction and playfulness (with no derogatory sense whatsoever) are intrinsic to installation and video art. So it only seems fitting that 'use' played a part in 'preservation'... though in some circles, (in certain media?) both terms may sound contradictory. 

Next time you go to the Smithsonian, pay a visit to Nam June Paik's beautiful collection.