An article about the challenges of video conservation whilst working for an artist film / video art distributor

I was asked back in September to contribute an article to Hors Champ magazine about video conservation at Vidéographe (where I work as a technical co-ordinator). This article is now online – you can read it here (French olnly for now).

Hors Champ is a critical review of experimental moving images practices in Quebec, and it is a site I have used before for my research into early video feedback practitioners. It’s run by a number of very committed writers who are talented artists in their own right, a number of whom work in film conservation at La Cinémathèque québécoise. So, it’s fair to say I was slightly nervous about positioning myself as an expert in this field.

My anxiety was also as much about honestly conveying the challenges that we face at Vidéographe in managing a collection that spans digital and physical media. Artist run centres struggle with capacity in general, never mind when it applies to the sisyphean task of conserving a growing collection. The other challenge is the transfer and preservation of knowledge within an organism when people leave and take their technical know how and vision with them. It often feels like waking up in an escape room.

So, I approached it like a bit of a diary. There’s some ups, downs, panic and humour, and you’ll hopefully get a sense of how I learn and make mistakes in real time.

I’m very proud of the article, and I am incredibly grateful to the Hors Champ team for inviting me, especially Chantal Partamian, who has been as robust and consistent in her encouragement as she has been skillful and decisive in her editing and translation. A massive thankyou also to Maude Trottier, who has overseen the final tweaks, taken the time to really nail the technical detail of my spurious analogies, whilst somehow keeping the humour and the sense. Thanks also to Alexandra Boillard-Lefebvre at Videographe for her comments but also her trust and encouragement to share our work at Vidéographe as seen through my own frantic brain.

An article about the challenges of video conservation whilst working for an artist film / video art distributor

I was asked back in September to contribute an article to Hors Champ magazine about video conservation at Vidéographe (where I work as a technical co-ordinator). This article is now online – you can read it here (French olnly for now).

Hors Champ is a critical review of experimental moving images practices in Quebec, and it is a site I have used before for my research into early video feedback practitioners. It’s run by a number of very committed writers who are talented artists in their own right, a number of whom work in film conservation at La Cinémathèque québécoise. So, it’s fair to say I was slightly nervous about positioning myself as an expert in this field.

My anxiety was also as much about honestly conveying the challenges that we face at Vidéographe in managing a collection that spans digital and physical media. Artist run centres struggle with capacity in general, never mind when it applies to the sisyphean task of conserving a growing collection. The other challenge is the transfer and preservation of knowledge within an organism when people leave and take their technical know how and vision with them. It often feels like waking up in an escape room.

So, I approached it like a bit of a diary. There’s some ups, downs, panic and humour, and you’ll hopefully get a sense of how I learn and make mistakes in real time.

I’m very proud of the article, and I am incredibly grateful to the Hors Champ team for inviting me, especially Chantal Partamian, who has been as robust and consistent in her encouragement as she has been skillful and decisive in her editing and translation. A massive thankyou also to Maude Trottier, who has overseen the final tweaks, taken the time to really nail the technical detail of my spurious analogies, whilst somehow keeping the humour and the sense. Thanks also to Alexandra Boillard-Lefebvre at Videographe for her comments but also her trust and encouragement to share our work at Vidéographe as seen through my own frantic brain.