Hans-Dieter Huber: From New Media to Old Media

Hans-Dieter Huber argued that the particular »presence« of artworks was due to their materiality. This presence is in turn the basis for aesthetic experience. As regards the relation of the original and its documentation, we must make a distinction between analogue and digital works. He listed various well-known strategies for the conservation of digital artworks – storage, emulation, migration, re-interpretation. Possibly, he went on, improved forms of description should replace the physical maintenance of the work, just as music is preserved through notation. This would have to be done in collaboration with the artist. Since the authenticity of the experience of the artwork depends on conditions prevailing at creation, and since these are unrepeatable, there in any case is no authenticity. Since October 1999 Hans Dieter Huber (1953) is professor for contemporary art history, aesthetics and art theory at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart and Head of the Study Program »Conservation of New Media and Digital Information« at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart since 2006.