CONTACT INFORMATION

The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

Håvard Oppøyen
Phone: +47 455 04 891
E-mail: videokunstarkivet@nasjonalmuseet.no

VIDEOKUNSTARKIVET (THE VIDEO ART ARCHIVE) – A WEB PORTAL FOR ARTISTS AND CURATORS

Videokunstarkivet (i.e. VKA) was a pilot project initiated and financed by the Arts Council of Norway in 2011. The archive was developed by PNEK (The production network for electronic art) through 2011-2015, and it was further continued as an ongoing project through 2015-2021 – still supported and financed by The Arts Council of Norway. From January 2021, the administration of the archive was transferred to The National Museum of Norway, kept as a resource archive in the Museum’s Library section. By January 2021, VKA had about 3.000 registered works by more than 660 artists or artist groups. More than half of the works are available as preview files for those with access to the archive.

VKA is a reference archive for video art made in Norway (or connected to Norway) from the 1960s to the present. Within the archive you’ll find metadata and information holding biographical data, documentation, web links, video files, stills and other information relating to video art works and artists represented.

VKA is an archive, not a curated collection. All works and artists included are meant to represent video art/artists from the whole period back to the 60s, with video art as part of contemporary art. The archive catalogue is not available to the public.

VKA is an archive system specially developed for artists to register their works and upload files. In addition, access can be given to curators, historians and researchers for searching and viewing digital content. Artists themselves can provide access to download files with a higher resolution from the archive.

VKA is not a channel for distribution, sales or dissemination. VKA is meant to be an important resource through registration of historical and contemporary works, making these works available for research, studying purposes and curatorial work. All other use of art works from the archive must be cleared with the rights holders (artists, museums, art galleries, etc.).

VKA makes video art available. The archive offers safe and sound keeping and storage of video art works and its metadata. The service is free of charge to use for artists, which of course hold all rights to their own art works.