From the Abyss of Digital Obsolescence: “William Forsythe, Improvisation Technologies”

Troy, NY—EMPAC is pleased to announce the availability of video documentation of William Forsythe's seminal CD-ROM, William Forsythe, Improvisation Technologies—A Tool for the Analytical Dance Eye.

First published in 1999 on a ZKM imprint, the CD-ROM was designed as a pedagogical tool for the prolific choreographer. At the same time, the implementation as interactive CD-ROM was paradigmatic in how technology at the time could be used to communicate principles of choreography and dance and was widely circulated in dance communities.

In lockstep with the baked-in obsolescence of digital technology, the CD-ROM has become inaccessible as Macintosh OS9 and supported hardware started fading away already in the first ten years after its publication.

As part of the development of a “digital time-capsule”, a video capture of the CD-ROM makes the content accessible and allows to understand the design and interaction of the original media. All materials of the original publication are documented, including the accompanying booklet with essays and additional information.