Tom Ensom and Daniella Briceño Villamil
Electronic Media Review, Volume Nine: 2025-2026
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we present recent collaborative work at Tate to advance the understanding and care of artworks incorporating control systems. Artworks can make use of dynamic elements which require management and coordination: for example, the dimming of lights, the driving of motors, or the coordination of multiple channels of audio or video. At the heart of such artworks are control systems: sets of components, typically involving programmed computer hardware, which choreograph the sequence of actions desired by the artist. While many of these technologies overlap with those used in software- and computer-based art—a medium that has been a focus of research at Tate over the past decade—they differ in their reduced emphasis on material specificity and their tendency to remain inconspicuous when the artwork is displayed. In light of these differences, we identified control systems as a distinct challenge that would benefit from further research.
Building on our experiences in the conservation of software-based art, we examined a range of artworks where control systems play a critical role. Reflecting on both commonalities and unique attributes, this investigation led to the development of guidance designed to assist conservators at Tate, including:
- Guidelines for identifying control systems, including common component types, and how they differ from software-based artworks
- Key considerations when condition checking and documenting control systems
- Measures to prepare for the future translation of control system functionality to new technologies, as a response to obsolescence
We found that many principles applied to the conservation of software-based art remained relevant, but the relative importance of these shifted and certain activities (such as disk imaging) were less useful. Our findings placed particular emphasis on understanding the control sequence—the series of actions enacted by the control system. This entails a variable process of analysis and documentation which may require specialist expertise and provides the key to migrating the control system to new technologies in the future.
We have adopted the “control system” label as a pragmatic means of highlighting the conservation challenges associated with a distinct yet diverse group of artworks. While this has helped us advance our understanding, it is clear that this grouping is not homogeneous and we encountered artworks that defy categorisation. This illustrates the limitations of medium-based terminology and the evolving nature of artistic practices which will continue to transcend medium-led conservation approaches. It underscores a need for well-resourced, interdisciplinary conservation work at points of acquisition and display, and for research time to be integrated into these processes as we continue to learn. With control systems present in many collections, and potentially falling under the radar of time-based media conservation projects, our findings have broader implications. We hope this paper will spark a wider conversation and foreground the power of interdisciplinary collaboration to influence future care and preservation strategies for these artworks.