Video Art in the Southern Cone. Festivals, archives, and remediation of the analogue past

This article examines the challenges faced by physical and digital archives dedicated to video art in Southern Cone, focusing on accessibility, preservation, dissemination. To map such a complex situation, firstly, it identifies four influential Latin American festivals, including Festival Franco-Chileno de Video Arte, Franco-Latinoamericano Videobrasil Buenos Aires Video, which promoted production, circulation, dissemination of audiovisual arts last two decades 20th century. Secondly, explores three regional initiatives – UMATIC, Açervo online Associação Cultural Videobrasil, ARCA that, since mid-2000s, have carried out tasks valuation making accessible collections related aforementioned festivals. Drawing Bolter Grusin’s concept remediation, is proposed that these be interpreted as remediation projects, they are concerned with reshaping old media formats multiplying through hypermediation. The understanding projects also relies “anomic archive”, refers idea documentary archive constructed an intentional process collecting sharing knowledge beyond traditional institutions. Finally, approaches means accessing primary sources, proposing reflection opportunities risks posed projects.