Documenting the build-up
In some cases it can be useful to record the building up process for research and re-installation purposes. There are different ways to do this. Some institutions install, or use already installed surveillance equipment to record the entire build-up. While this in some cases may be considered better than not having any material at all, it is not a precise form of documentation. Most details can, and indeed do get lost.
Proper documentation follows the building up process much like a documentary. If done thoroughly, this approach is cumbersome in the sense that it delays the building up process. Technicians building the installation have to wait for the camera to be set up in different positions and as there is always the possibility that some retakes need to be done. Moreover, it also is a documentation process that takes long time because the documentation crew needs to wait for the building crew. In effect both crews slow each other down resulting in a more expensive build-up and a comparatively expensive shoot also.
Different installations require and allow for different documentation tactics. When documenting the build-up of a sculptural installation that is independent of the space where it is installed and where the installation is more assembled than built up, it can be quite easy to make a recording of the process. This can in some cases even be done by the technician building it up.
On the other hand, a site-specific installation can take more time and improvisation to build-up and as such the process is much more complex to record. These kinds of installations usually need a separate documentation crew and specific arrangements with the team building up the installation.
If the installation of the work consists of straight forward practices used by (video) technicians, it is perhaps not worth putting all the effort of filming the build-up. Instead a text (and photo) based instruction manual, including a clear inventory of the elements of the work and details on specific aspects to consider during the build-up can be sufficient as a guide for future re-installation. All these different approaches mentioned should be discussed with the curator and/or the artist.
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