URL STONE

2018;
Marble, JPG File, Wikipedia article, dual-channel video, GPS sensor, website.

The work investigates the longevity of media carries by juxtaposing the same information being held by two fundamentally different mediums: a text carved into stone and a .jpeg file hosted on Wikipedia. The investigation is not complete until one of them is lost, thus revealing it’s less durable qualities in site of the other. Which one will be lost first? Only time will tell…

The work aims to study the various properties and longevity of media carriers that we assign the function of storing, transmitting and preserving knowledge. The investigation will juxtapose the same information being held by two fundamentally different mediums: a text carved into stone, an ancient way of preserving knowledge and a .jpeg file hosted on Wikipedia, the common method of documenting knowledge to date. The text carved onto a marble plaque includes a URL address, that refers to an image of this particular marble plaque which is located within the Wikipedia media storage and followed by the article.

The article describes the intent of creation and current location of the marble plate, available for updating in accordance with the idea underlying the principles of the site. The project is not complete until one of two media carriers is eventually lost, thus revealing its less durable qualities in site of the other. Which one will be lost first? Only time will tell...