For the 'Mapping Contemporary Art in the Heritage Experience' (MCAHE) project, Marcus Coates and Mark Fairnington were each commissioned to create on-site artworks as part of the research process. For our new project, On-Site/Off-Site, the artists are revisiting their original artworks and, with collaborators, working to create a digital re-presentation. This differs from documentation of the artwork, in that the re-presentation seeks to create an experience of an aspect the original work for the online audience. By doing this we are testing whether commissioning a digital re-presentation of a physical artwork could be a way to ensure its legacy (as often temporary works in heritage contexts are poorly documented), and also to see whether this digital re-presentation appeals to a different audience and enhances accessibility.

The approach taken to the re-presentations differed in response to how the artists wanted to revisit their projects. Marcus, whose work takes a variety of forms, sought to lead the redevelopment of his work with new collaborators. Mark Fairnington, a painter, agreed to work with a digital creative company on the re-presentation of 'Walking, Looking and Telling Tales'. The project team worked with Mark to draw up a brief for the collaboration. This was then issued via networks specializing in digital creative work. Creative digital companies submitted an Expression of Interest outlining how they proposed to tackle the brief, with the successful company, Mnemoscene, working with Mark on the digital re-presentation.