Interactive Multimedia Installations (IMIs) are invaluable for the history of art and culture, for media technology and for other disciplines involved in the scientic research and the areas of applica tion. Despite their importance, Interactive Multimedia Installations show some weaknesses that threaten their chance to be preserved long enough to be studied or replicated: (1) they show a complexity that cannot be oversimplied; (2) they are highly refractory to preservation. Moreover, they show an alarmingly short life expectancy compared to other cultural materials, such as audio-video carriers, let alone paper documents, paintings and sculptures. This paper presents the main problems related to the preservation of Interactive Multimedia Installations , and proposes the core of a possible solution.