Research
The MPI team generates research data to support the conservation of the Whitney’s time-based media holdings. By gaining physical and intellectual control of the individual components that make up each work, the Museum can prolong the lifespan of the artwork as a whole.
MPI Survey: The Whitney’s Works on Flash Drives
When the Media Preservation Initiative first launched, initial surveys of the Whitney’s media collection focused on works whose media carriers are considered the most at-risk formats. Despite being some of the newest technologies in the collection, flash memory drives were quickly identified as a high priority. In November and December 2018, Savannah Campbell, MPI’s Video and Digital Media Preservation Specialist, began an assessment of the USB flash drives in the collection.
One of several flash drives carrying digital files of an artwork in the Whitney Museum's permanent collection.
MPI Case Study: Re-cataloguing Nam June Paik’s Magnet TV
In support of the Whitney’s ongoing conservation efforts, MPI is re-cataloguing and providing additional descriptive data for all of the Museum’s time-based media holdings. These tasks include photographing and relabeling artwork components, as well as certifying that catalogue records are accurate and adhere to current standards. As a prime example of this undertaking, in the fall of 2019, MPI staff re-catalogued Nam June Paik’s landmark video sculpture Magnet TV (1965).
Nam June Paik, Magnet TV, 1965. Modified black-and-white television with magnet, 38 3/4 × 19 1/4 × 24 1/2 in. (98.4 × 48.9 × 62.2 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from Dieter Rosenkranz 86.60a-b. © Nam June Paik Estate