AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

The iteration report, first proposed by Joanna Philips, has been used in conservation to document different manifestations of a time-based media artwork with the understanding that each iteration results in changes to the work. These reports often encourage the writer to reflect on the iteration in terms of the appearance of the work, decision-making processes that led to the final result, and to assess whether it was successful and why. 

In one instance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, we used the iteration report on a loaned artwork to not only reflect on the final appearance of the artwork, but also to consider the entire installation process for time-based artworks at the museum. The Museum recently hired a time-based media conservator; thus, some of the aims of this iteration report were to diagnose inefficiencies in current workflows as well as creating an ideal iteration report to serve as a model for future reports. The report was written in a collaborative manner with stakeholders in the Audio/Visual and Registrarial Departments. We are choosing not to name the artwork because it is not owned by the museum. This artwork’s installation, which was its second iteration, necessitated purchasing new equipment and altering the exhibition space which resulted in delays to the opening. The installation also coincided with other installations with tight deadlines, which placed intense pressure on museum staff. The iteration report served as a vehicle that allowed us to track where workflows could be improved to avoid having those same challenges in the future.

To aid us in this reflexive practice, we made some modifications to the report.  We created a timeline to note every decision that was made about the work from the moment it was considered for exhibition through the end of the exhibition, expanding the focus beyond the final presentation of the work. We also rigorously documented the labor involved in installing the work and creating the report. After the report was written, it was used as a tool to inform workflows for installing other time-based media artworks. This use of the iteration report became a catalyst for change in the museum with respect to how time-based media artworks are understood and handled, and therefore became a tool for internal advocacy. This adaptation of the iteration report could serve as a model for other stewards who are advocating for improved time-based media workflows in their institutions.