Critical Writing Index

Through a looking glass and beyond: Media art and museums

by Elaine Tolmatch and Laurie Filgiano

Muse, Jan. 2010, v. 28, no. 1, pp. 34 - 41

After a brief and basic introduction to the concept of media art, this article contemplates the challenges museums face in exhibiting video, installation, and other media works. The rapid development of technology in media art presents a redefinition of some major elements of museum display. The affected concerns include copyright, conservation, cataloguing, collaboration (or cooperation), and cost. It is concluded that media art brings certain complexities when presented in a museum context, which require individual and specific attention.

ITEM 2010.001 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Through a Looking Glass – Douglas Gordon

After Walker Evans – Sherrie Levine

TV Garden – Nam June Paik

Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Nam June Paik