Approaches, Strategies and Theoretical and Practice-Based Research Methods to investigate and archive video art: Some reflections from the REWIND projects

This paper discusses methodologies, approaches and issues, emerging out of three major research projects that have investigated early histories of video art in Europe: REWIND (2004 ongoing), REWINDItalia (2011-2014) and EWVA (2015-2018). The paper argues how the projects have engaged with the history of the apparatus, the identity and status of the artworks, preservation methods, and the legacy of these video artworks today. A particular focus is paid to semi-structured questionnaires for interviews structured to capture oral histories, memories and recollections, that in some cases would have been otherwise lost to future knowledge and the uncovering of lost artworks and their available documentation. The authors directly involved in the projects - discusses solutions, risks and experiences encountered in the projects and future research perspectives for re-covering, collecting, archiving and narrating the histories of early video art in Europe. The paper discusses also different practice-based research methods, platforms and engagement strategies, including re-installation and re-enactment.