Vice President of Google Arts & Culture, Vinton G. Cerf, today announced that Google is teaming up with the New York-based organization. Following a meeting held last month in London that brought together first-class researchers — specializing in preservation, curation and computer science — and digital artists, the initiative marks a decisive step forward in the preservation of digital art.
“As we witness physical works of art destroyed by war and the passage of time around the world, we know how important preservation is. The same is true for creative expressions online
—and we must look for new solutions together” commented Cerf.
Rhizome, who has preserved digital art since its inception in 1996, will bring its expertise to Google, and specifically its knowledge of obsolescence management and degradation of storage media. For its part, Google will be lending Rhizome their wallet, storage, and computing muscle.
Rhizome’s works will be accessible online, and for free. As of today, projects including exhibits on 20-year-old landmark computer games for girls, or exploring the design of early Internet browsers organized user interaction, as well as Amalia Ulman's scripted social media performance “Excellences & Perfections” will be available on Google Arts & Culture’s website.
