Conservation of flash-based media art a case study of <Bite the Bullet>

Software-based artworks encompass diverse formats, including web platforms, standalone programs, and virtual reality. As technologies become obsolete and software support ends, conservation challenges intensify. This study examines <Bite the Bullet>(2008), a web-based artwork by Korean media artist Rho Jae Oon, and presents a conservation treatment addressing issues caused by Adobe Flash Player’s discontinuation and character encoding errors. The strategy employed a dual approach: emulation—reconstructing the original execution environment via a virtual machine—and migration—restructuring the work with HTML5 and JavaScript. SHA-256 hash values were generated to verify file integrity, and all code modifications were annotated to document deviations from the original. Through an interview with the artist, key conceptual elements essential for guiding future conservation treatments were identified. This case study proposes a practical methodology for the conservation of software-based artworks and suggests directions for application to similar works in the future.