Digital Custody and Cultural Continuity
Issue 02 - Articles
04 March 2026
Anthony Watson, ESCROWSURE
Museums, galleries, and corporate collections protect artworks through security systems, conservation protocols, insurance, and climate control. These are the visible safeguards of culture.
Less visible is software.
Collection management systems, provenance databases, digital archives, monitoring tools, and even software-based artworks depend on systems institutions rarely own or fully control. In many cases, long-term continuity depends on a single vendor, or on source code no museum has ever accessed.
Collections now exist in physical and digital form.
This digital layer is not inherently stable. Companies close. Support is withdrawn. Platforms are discontinued. Code becomes obsolete.
Many institutions rely on systems they cannot inspect or reproduce independently. Without access to source code or documentation, they depend on third parties for access to their own records.
Software escrow addresses this risk.
It provides conditional access to the code and materials behind critical systems. The purpose is not to replace vendors, but to ensure continuity if support ends or a company fails.
Connie Schneider, photography, 2016
What software escrow is
Typical triggers include:
- Vendor insolvency
- Withdrawal of support
If triggered, the institution gains access to the materials required to maintain or migrate the system.
Escrow removes a single point of failure. It is contingency planning.
Why the art world is exposed
Vulnerabilities include:
- Digital artworks reliant on proprietary platforms
- Collection systems without fallback
- Cloud-based provenance tools
- Software-driven conservation and monitoring systems
- Corporate collections tied to bundled services
Risk often becomes visible only at failure.
Escrow does not eliminate risk. It preserves options.
Partnership in practice
Digital dependency is now part of institutional risk management.
Recently, ESCROWSURE partnered with Artfundi to secure source code continuity for both a museum and a corporate collection. Rather than reacting to disruption, these institutions formalised contingency planning in advance.
We’re seeing museums and corporate collections recognise that digital risk is operational risk. A structured escrow agreement provides clarity if support is withdrawn.
The objective was simple: avoid total dependency.
Escrow as practice
For institutions considering escrow:
- Identify mission-critical systems
- Assess single points of dependency
- Define clear release conditions
- Ensure deposited materials are current
Software escrow does not replace digital stewardship.
It ensures institutions retain access to the systems that support their collections, if circumstances change.
Connie Schneider, photography, 2016