The challenge of preserving interactive sound art: a multi-level approach

Installation art flourished in the XX century and its impact on the contemporary artistic production today is acknowledged worldwide. However installations are threatened by a life expectancy that is significantly shorter than that of other cultural materials, including audio-visual media. This article addresses the topic of preserving interactive multimedia installations, showing why they are refractory to preservation, and why the current practices for preservation do not have ready solutions for these problems. The authors introduce a functional categorisation of documents, in the form of an original multi-level approach to preservation.