KVT – Muses on Video Art

Looking at the German art videos that have been chosen to be re-recorded – for an unsure posterity – may give cause for debate, but when you realize that thousands of others have probably reached the stage when resurrection is impossible, you realize the crisis that exists for all today’s art and non-art videos. It makes you think twice about investing in a piece of Video Art from a brilliant artist. Perhaps painting is still the best option. Do digital photograghic art prints fit the same fairly emphemeral criterion?

Video is used to record a lot of contemporary art (take performance art as one example) and it’s interesting to ponder its longevity. I mean, with all of the videos being taken, and considering the cost of re-recording, just how do you choose what will be kept? It makes you shudder to think of the way future earthlings will perceive our time in history if re-recording is left in the hands of the wealthy or the powerful.

Perhaps we can only do as a lot of selfish climate change optimists do… put all our faith in science and technology and just say that a solution will have to come along and save us all. So just keep on doing as much as – or more than – we are already doing and cross our fingers.

Now I’m a confessed video virgin and if anyone wants to contribute to this opinion piece with more cohesive and intelligent input, please do.