About LI-MA 

LI-MA - Living Media Art, is the centre of expertise in the Netherlands for media art, new technologies and digital culture. LI-MA represents and supports artists in the presentation and development of new work and preserves the memory of Dutch media art through its digital repository and conservation services. LI-MA is an international pioneer and centre of expertise in the fields of archiving, preservation, and distribution of media art. In collaboration with museums, artists, academies, and universities, we research and develop services and tools for artists and institutions, as well as methods and practices for dealing with digital art sustainably. Our approach is anchored within a multidisciplinary network, both nationally and internationally. 

At LI-MA, a small team of media art experts with big ambitions is at work. From technicians to curators, archivists, and researchers, we work together to ensure that media art gains greater visibility and remains accessible to all.

We offer opportunities for internships, master theses, and PhD research

Are you passionate about media art, digital culture, and conservation? LI-MA is looking for motivated interns and researchers to join our Conservation and Research team. Whether you're seeking an internship, working on a master’s thesis, or pursuing PhD research, this is a unique opportunity to explore media art preservation and digital archiving. Engage with historical and contemporary artworks, collaborate with experts, and contribute to the future of digital art conservation. 

Internship Opportunities 

LI-MA is seeking interns to join our Conservation and Research team. These internships require an understanding of media art history, knowledge of individual artworks and techniques, and familiarity with technical requirements for current and future presentations. Candidates should have a strong interest or experience in working with media artworks. Interns must work independently on the examination and treatment of digital artworks while effectively communicating findings to specialists to support decision-making for various stakeholders.

Internship Duration

Internships can start in April or September 2025 or February 2026, minimum 3 months, 5 days a week or 5 months, 3 days a week. 

Investigating the Video Archive of Montevideo/ TBA/ NIMk

In preparation for its 50th anniversary, LI-MA will explore its own archive from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The archive of Montevideo/TBA and the Netherlands Media Art Institute holds a wealth of media art history. Filled with productions, exhibitions, projects, artists talks and more. As an intern, you will make an inventory, a timeline and documenting and sustaining parts of the (video) archive.

Research contains questions like: What were the artists and artworks presented, what were the theme’s and topics, how to connect with or translate to the contemporary media art field, how to understand and engage with the artistic concepts, topics, practice and technical developments. Interns will also be invited to write a blog about the institutions, artistic content, artworks, or the archiving process and contribute to WIKI pages.

Archive

LI-MA’s online presence has grown significantly over the years. We are focusing on archiving our website, migrating content to the current LI-MA platform, creating a timeline, and highlighting key events, artworks, artists, and narratives from the past 50 years.

In addition to our website (li-ma.nl), we aim to organize and sustain content from our YouTube and video platforms. This includes:

•  Storing and preserving content, data, and media
• Checking for broken links and outdated references
• Defining vocabulary and tags to improve accessibility

Specialized tools, such as the Wayback Machine, mapping tools, and web crawlers, will be provided to support the archival process.

LI-MA manages the legacy of Montevideo, Time Based Arts, the Netherlands Media Art Institute (NIMk), and LI-MA itself, including its archive and documentation from 1978 to the present day. This archive exists both online and offline and requires inventorying, structuring timelines, and implementing conservation measures. It comprises policy documents, an archive of activities, a photo archive, records of artist residencies and productions, a substantial video archive - including exhibition recordings, interviews, and artist talks - as well as publicity materials and more, spanning all possible analogue and digital formats.  

The archive is inextricably linked to a vast number of artworks and artists in the LI-MA collection. It holds unique information about the creative process, the context in which works were developed, and the different versions or installations of these works. This information is essential for future reinstallation and, therefore, for their long-term preservation. Additionally, the process of archiving enriches the works themselves, making this a hallmark of a dynamic archive - one that is increasingly vital to the conservation strategies required for many contemporary artworks.  

This project involves the inventorying, indexing, and organisation of the archive, alongside the development of a plan to enhance its accessibility. This applies both to the physical materials and to the information contained within the archive in relation to other documents (such as registration, storage, and metadata). This internship or master’s project could contribute to research on dynamic archiving.

Interested?

Apply now by sending your motivation letter and CV to Gaby Wijers, via gabywijers@li-ma.nl. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Gaby Wijers via email.