New ZeMKI Working Paper No. 58 published
24. March 2026
The new ZeMKI working paper by Enrique Uribe-Jongbloed and Carlos Gutiérrez-González, entitled “Restoring audiovisual products sustainably: innovative approaches to work with audiovisual archives” is now available.
What is it about?
The paper explores evolving definitions and practices surrounding archives and repositories in the digital era. It highlights the challenges of distinguishing between these terms and the political complexities inherent in defining archives. The discussion draws from critical archival theory and its emphasis on appraisal, preservation, and description, and analyses the influence of digital platforms, like YouTube, on archiving practices. It addresses materiality and sustainability, underlining the environmental and financial costs of digital archives, and the uneven global access to audiovisual cultural memory. Two innovative case studies are presented: the reconstruction of Colombian television archives through human and AI-powered metadata extraction, and a Welsh postproduction company’s workflow optimisation to reduce energy consumption. Both cases exemplify creative solutions to digital archiving challenges, such as improving context and access, on the one hand, and minimising environmental impact, on the other. The discussion extends to broader issues, including the archiving of video games and social media, copyright, and the risks of private ownership and algorithmic control. The text concludes by advocating for “critical digital archives” that are ethically, materially, and environmentally sustainable, suggesting that ongoing innovation and nuanced debate are essential for the future of digital audiovisual archiving.