The problem of Planned Obsolescence during IA Technocratic Age in The Archive Practice

Abstract

This article analyzes, through interviews with four Latin American media artists—Marcello Mercado, Carlos Castillo, Andrea Ludovic, and Carlosmagno Rodrigues—the impact of planned obsolescence on their artistic practices, particularly regarding the recovery and preservation of visual and sound archives across different media: mobile phones, hard drives, magnetic tape, and film. The research adopts a qualitative methodology framed within the field of digital humanities, using interviews as the primary analytical tool. The findings indicate that the artists consciously employ obsolete electronic devices, which are aesthetically re-signified according to specific quality standards for their reproduction in media art contexts. The article concludes that planned obsolescence, rather than functioning solely as a technical constraint, can be addressed through ethical programs of preservation, conservation, and restoration of electronic equipment. Such practices enable the creation of media artworks whose ephemeral condition makes the construction of historical archives essential, thereby challenging technocratic logics and the digital colonialism associated with contemporary artificial intelligence.