Abstract- Computer Arts, Contexts, Histories, etc...

(CACHe), which began its work in 2002, is a major research project into the origins and history of British computer arts. It is based at the School of History of Art, Film and Visual Media at Birkbeck, University of London and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Board through one of their large research grants. The substantial funding for our project indicates the level of interest in creating an historical framework for this period.
CACHe is investigating the early days of the computer arts in the UK from their origins in the 1960s to the 1980s, when the first personal computers began to be used. The project intends to archive, document and contextualise the computer arts. Its principal goals are to recover this history and confirm its cultural and aesthetic legitimacy. CACHe has been undertaking the following aims:

  • Recovering the work of leading pioneers in the field of digital-based art in Britain
  • Identifying artists, works, events and publications
  • Documenting the contributions of artists, researchers, authors, academics, institutions and publications
  • Collecting material to create a permanent national collection based on a number of archives
  • Constructing a critical and historical context for the computer arts
  • Enabling access to this research through an online database, books, videos/DVDs and other materials