Considerations on sound art documentation: Theories and case studies
Video documentation of sound art pieces has been largely used as a way to promote/preserve a work of art displayed in a specific moment and place. In most cases it attempts to show different aspects of the piece, such as the audience engaging with a particular work. However, it is often overlooked that the interaction documented in this context is not merely limited to the physical contact between a member of the audience and a piece. Interaction also entails the influence of diverse social affordances and distinct”vital forces” involved in the human-nonhuman aesthetic interplay. This paper examines those elements and reflects on how video documentation of a sound art piece presents a curated version of these forces in communion, going beyond the mere purpose of preserving the work. With this in mind, an artist can consciously select the degree of dialogue between human and non-human actors displayed in the video, engaging them in an artistic decision: creating an extension of the piece.
