Conservation case study: Telefonia by Andres Bosshard et.al.

On behalf of the HEK, conservator Ellen Kotthaus developed a case study in 2019 with the aim of making the historical documents (sound and video recordings, photos, plans, scores, sketches and texts) of the telematic event Telefonia of 1991 accessible online.

The 72-hour simultaneous concert was transmitted via satellite and telephone lines between New York, Winterthur and the Säntis and was initiated and organized by the Swiss sound artist Andres Bosshard to mark the 700th anniversary of the founding of Switzerland. The telematic event Telefonia combined performances and concerts in Winterthur via satellite and telephone lines with performances and concerts in the Hall of Science in New York and the weather station on the Säntis.

Telefonia was ideal for a conservation case study, as no ready-defined work of art was handed over, but rather the components had to be evaluated and the presentation possibilities had to be worked out first. The aim of the conservation strategy was to make the telematic event accessible and experiencable again for a contemporary audience. The presentation of such a complex artistic happening with a multitude of participants required thorough consideration and restructuring. In close cooperation with the artist, the web platform Telefonia 2021 - 1991 - 1291 was developed for this restructuring and the presentation to the public, which allows different access via a "static" as well as "fluid" archive.