Moving images, editoned artworks and authenticity

This study delves into the history of the presentations and transformations of John
Massey’s As the Hammer Strikes (A Partial Illustration) (1982) and Douglas Gordon’s Play Dead; Real Time (2003). John Massey’s As the Hammer Strikes (A Partial Illustration) was initially presented as three synchronised 16mm film projections. Its presentation format was migrated twice and from a film installation it became a video installation. Douglas Gordon’s Play Dead; Real Time was first exhibited as a three-channel video installation (two screens and one monitor). In some recent exhibitions, depending on the space allowed and the configuration of the room, the artist has chosen to add a
second monitor, meaning that the work temporarily became a four-channel video installation. In this paper, I explore how the re-exhibitions of these two artworks have challenged their authenticity.