Preservation, ephemerality, and digital tactility There’s a paradox at work: a compressed file aims to preserve, but the medium that sustains it—online platforms, ephemeral forums, personal hard drives—is precarious. Filenames become the last visible trace of content when links die and communities dissolve. Yet this fragility also lends the artifact its poignancy. The plainness of “Making A Christmas Tree” gains gravity when framed as one small node in a series of works that document everyday craft. It’s a reminder that cultural production is often composed of small, lovingly made items that matter most to a narrow but dedicated audience.