Mavica

In an era where photography is defined by megapixels, sensor sizes, and ever-increasing resolutions, a critical question arises: how do these technical parameters shape the essence of the medium?

The images are stored at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels on a removable magnetic disk. The magnetism used for image reproduction is embedded in the images themselves. This feature is not only reflected in the camera’s name (MAgnetic VIdeo CAmera) but also in the images, which oscillate between attraction and dissolution. Paraphrasing artist Maurizio Cattelan, one could say these images come “from anywhere, everywhere, and nowhere”—floating between fragmented and decontextualized contexts. The magnetic floppy disks, both a medium and a metaphor, embody the instability of digital preservation. Their degradation mirrors memory’s entropy, challenging the idea of archival permanence.

Visually, the images evoke a sense of age. The 0.03 MP resolution dictates not just what we see, but how we see it. What is it like to work today with a camera from the late 90s, under such constraints? The texture of these images offers a form of time travel, providing a glimpse into the early days of the digital revolution. These imperfections, shaped by low resolution, form a bridge between past and present, analog and digital.

Pixels, those uniform cells of colour, are where information is stored. Their visibility, often seen as an error or a disturbance, is actually where their value is.

Despite their optical 'flaws', the images take on a strange, unexpected beauty with their magnetic attraction.