Iconoclasm and Iconoclash – The Digital Restoration of the Movement-Image

This contribution explores the concept of iconoclash in the context of the preservation and digital restoration practices of analog moving images. Iconoclash, as defined by Bruno Latour (2002), represents a state of ambiguity, where it is unclear whether an action is destructive or constructive. This phenomenon manifests in digitization practices for conservation, where the apparent indistinction between destructive and constructive actions highlights a principle of assimilation underlying the current “software culture.” This process involves a “selective-elective” mechanism, a “making similar to itself,” that erases the aesthetic and historical differences of analog images in relation to their original contexts of production and reception. Digital restoration practices, while aiming to counteract the physical and chemical degradation of analog media and technological obsolescence, risk severing the connection between works and their historical-cultural contexts. This creates a tension between preserving the original aesthetic properties of the images and their "erasure" through digitization processes, which often replace the materiality of the work with an interpretation aligned with contemporary technological standards. The contribution examines the paradox of restoration efforts that, despite intending to conserve, may end up being destructive to the historical and material qualities of analog images. Through the analysis of specific examples and case studies, it addresses critical questions for the theory and practice of restoration, such as the role of software automation and the impact of digital remediation on processes of aesthetic and historical perception. Finally, the contribution reflects on how to preserve analog images without compromising their historical and cultural integrity, balancing the demands of conservation and contemporary access.