Conservation strategy for food-based perishable art: preservation versus reconstruction illustrated by Piece in Ghent by Jason Rhoades (1994)

The aim of this paper was to discuss the role of food preservation science and technology in the conservation of complex food-based installations. By introducing the principles of food science and food preservation into the decision-making process for the conservation of contemporary art, more insight on conservation and presentation possibilities was created. Considering the installation Piece in Ghent (P.I.G.) by Jason Rhoades, which contains French fries, the principles of food preservation science were evaluated. The preservation of the original foods was discussed against the potential of a reproduction of the foods. The context for conservation was determined by analysing the artist's intention, the production method of the artwork, and the degradation processes of the food materials. From the results obtained, guidelines to preserve the ‘original’ foods were proposed, as well as guidelines to reproduce foods that can last longer. The study demonstrated that food preservation science contributed to the development of effective strategies for the conservation of contemporary food-based art.     

Values,ideas, and practices in social representation of the subject: A possible dialogue between artist and conservator on contemporary art

This poster presents the results of an investigation carried out to assess the different possibilities that a discipline belonging to the field of social psychology, and defined by the social representation of the subject and thus different from the conservation/restoration field, could contribute to the study of the relationships between those involved in the production and preservation of contemporary art, the artist and the conservator-restorer.     

Museums and the shaping of contemporary artworks

In the museum context, curators and conservators often play a role in shaping the nature of contemporary artworks. Before, during and after the acquisition of an art object, curators and conservators engage in dialogue with the artist about how the object should be exhibited and conserved. As a part of this dialogue, the artist may express specifications for the display and conservation of the object, thereby fixing characteristics of the artwork that were previously left open. This process can make a significant difference to the visual appearance of the work, the nature of the audience's experience, and how the work should be interpreted. I present several case studies in which the nature of the artwork has been shaped by such dialogues, and discuss principles for resolving cases in which there is a conflict between instructions specified by the artist and those adopted by the museum.     

Preserving the Open Form. The Oskar and Zofia Hansen House in Szumin: Between architecture and contemporary art

A wooden summer house in Szumin, built between 1969 and 1970, is a spatial manifesto for the Open Form — a theory formulated by Polish architect, artist, and educator Oskar Hansen (1922–05). Oriented towards participation, process, and change in the hierarchy between the architect and the user, or the artist and the spectator, Hansen's theory formed a strong conceptual basis for his architectural, artistic, and pedagogical practice. Being a faithful expression of these ideas, the house is a spatio-temporal, transitional object, defined by constant adaptation to the changing needs of its users. In 2014 the property came into the custody of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Poland. A conservation strategy was developed to preserve both the idea and the physical aspect of the site. With its dominance of concept and artist's intent, this house has a stronger resemblance with a work of art than with built heritage. Therefore, the procedures developed for the conservation of contemporary artworks have been applied. These tools help to evaluate the range of necessary interventions and to set up a conservation programme.     

Examining the digital future of analogue slide-based artworks at the Hamburger Kunsthalle

The Hamburger Kunsthalle conservation department started a two-year funded project in 2015, which specifically covers the preservation of all ten slide-based artworks in the collection, with a total of about 1700 slides. The task at hand, to examine and conserve the slide-based artworks, is driven by the need within the profession to explore ways in which these works can continue to be displayed. This is new terrain for conservators of modern and contemporary art, whose responsibility is dedicated to a broad-ranging collection of artworks. From the viewpoint of a modern and contemporary art conservator with no training in time-based media conservation, the article describes the current conservation strategy of slide-based artworks, with case studies and their associated conservation decisions.     

Selection for preservation: considerations for the health sciences

Just as no health sciences library can afford to collect every work on a subject, neither can any health sciences library afford to preserve every item that is added to its collection. In decision making for collection development, health sciences libraries apply a set of selection criteria. Those same criteria have direct application in selection for preservation decisions. This paper summarizes the literature of selection for preservation, describes the scholarly record of biomedicine, and presents criteria for selection for preservation decisions. The preservation priorities statement for microfilming of monographs and serials in the National Library of Medicine collection is included as an appendix.     

Curation,conservation, and the artist in Silent Explosion: Ivor Davies and Destruction in Art

This paper examines the preservation and curatorial approaches explored for the exhibition Silent Explosion: Ivor Davies and Destruction in Art at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales (November 2015–March 2016). The collaboration between the artist, curator/researcher, and conservators is considered and the evolving and flexible way in which transient pieces were presented/re-presented is described. The paper offers a case study in the context of this exhibition and argues that regardless of whether it is in traditional media (such as painting) or as time-based media (unstable and open to interpretation), Davies' work challenges a perception of artworks as finished, single-authored objects.     

The Artist Initiative at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

The Artist Initiative at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is piloting models for increased collaboration between conservators and curators through joint work with artists. We seek a more integrated, holistic approach to the care and research of our collection. The project, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, comprises five robust research engagements that serve the curatorial collecting departments of the museum (Photography, Painting and Sculpture, Media Art, and Architecture and Design). Three of the projects are monographic studies, examining the work of Ellsworth Kelly, Vija Celmins, and Julia Scher in depth, while two more are thematic, exploring modes of displaying digitally-driven design objects, and developing strategies for addressing the problem of color shift common to photographic prints made with experimental materials during the 1970s and 1980s. The Artist Initiative is also charged with developing hybrid working spaces to advance collaborative approaches to collections research at the museum's new downtown campus and at SFMOMA's new Collections Center in South San Francisco. These spaces include the Collections Workroom, a 56?sq?m (600?sq?ft) space that functions as a studio for visiting artists, a conservation laboratory, an interview suite, and a classroom at SFMOMA's downtown campus. At the Collections Center, a 121?sq?m (1300?sq?ft) Mock-Up Gallery has been built as a working model of one of the museum's new galleries. A functional exhibition space, the Mock-Up Gallery is also a venue for interviewing artists, prototyping exhibition formats, and meeting with students, scholars, museum staff, and community members. With the goal of contributing to critical discourses in contemporary art history, art conservation, and public engagement, each of the Artist Initiative projects includes a colloquium that will bring experts from multiple fields together with the featured artists. Thereafter we aim to share our findings widely through public programs and a range of publications, both digitally and in print.     

Finding common ground and inherent differences: Artist and community engagement in cultural material and contemporary art conservation

Comparisons are often made between the conservation of cultural material collections, often described as ethnographic, and contemporary art collections, and indeed there are significant parallels. The stewardship of both of these types of collections can challenge traditional tenets of conservation, requiring conservators to ask themselves ‘What are we preserving?’ as preservation extends beyond the physical. The work must be placed in a broader conceptual context and the conservator must seek out those who are deemed to have the most authority – whether it is the artist, the artist's assistants and estate or the source community – to establish this context. Engagement with constituents creates valuable reciprocal relationships, which can benefit the artist, community, and museum. The relationships and the parallel practice of two seemingly disparate fields are examined using examples from the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and the Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG). Conservators at NMAI, a living culture museum containing archeological, historic, and contemporary art collections, are in the unique position of working with community stakeholders with direct ties to historic collections and contemporary artists whose work is actively acquired by the museum. Conservators at YUAG, an encyclopedic museum with a pedagogical directive, are attempting to establish a more rigorous program of artist engagement to direct preservation and understanding of contemporary art collections.     

Building a Social Compact for Preserving E-Journals

In the shift of scholarly publishing from the print environment to online, the preservation of the scholarly record has become more complex, difficult, and uncertain. Current efforts are not adequate. Core criteria and certification processes have been developed for digital preservation repositories. Broad library support is crucial to the sustainability of third-party preservation archives. Publisher participation in third-party archives has grown, but coverage is incomplete and uneven, leaving some categories of materials well-covered and others vulnerable. Preservation programs need to coordinate their efforts and view themselves as collaborators rather than competitors. The task of preserving the digital scholarly record cannot fall to libraries alone—it requires a social compact among all involved parties.     

我国古籍保护事业可持续发展思考

"十一五"期间我国古籍保护工作虽已取得了一定的成就,但其可持续发展还面临着一些障碍。总结"十一五"期间我国古籍保护工作的成就,通过问卷调查和材料分析,提出"十二五"期间我国古籍保护工作应由外延式发展走向内涵式建设。为实现这一目标,本文建议:启动古籍保护事业的顶层设计;制定保护措施与财政优先支持政策;制定规划古籍再生性保护的格式变换策略;总结经验、分析问题、凝练知识;降低古籍保护中的风险,让有限的资金发挥更大的效益。     

The Ephemeral,the Essential and the Material in the Conservation of Contemporary Art: Decision-Making for the Conservation of a Work of Art Made with Butterfly Wings

This article presents the intervention process carried out on a work of art created by artist Yolanda Gutiérrez Acosta, using a series of ephemeral materials such as butterfly wings and agave thorns. The work, an installation from 2002, is entitled ‘Efímeras’ (‘Ephemera’) and consists of 12 flowers mounted on acetate sheets and attached to the same with vinyl acetate copolymers and acrylic acid esters (Mowilith®). These flowers are installed on the floor in a bed of dried flowers. The conservation of contemporary art can lead to some previously unimaginable problems for restorers. Current works of art are somewhat material in nature, but they also have a conceptual dimension that is essential for their artistic interpretation. The artist’s participation in the decision-making process prior to the restoration was quite useful. The passage of time, its effect on the work, and the need to understand the possibility of the demise and destruction of the work were implicit as of the onset of its creation, such that, according to the artist, we are forced to reflect upon the possibilities of its future state.     

Conserving contemporary artworks: perspectives of artists and curators at the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe

In fine arts, contemporary artists seek to showcase their artistic skills and concepts. There is very little awareness by most artists on the quality of materials they use in art production and the conservation needs of contemporary artworks which pose conservation challenges as materials used and the physical quality of artworks produced are secondary to what the artists seek to express. Of prime interest to them is the expression of concepts through various genres of art creation. However, the quality of material used by most artists is largely affected by their financial situation and inadequate knowledge on the durability of such materials. Artworks created using recycled materials such as found objects and cheap materials like poor quality paint on paintings, low grade paper in artworks, or poor quality wood present conservation challenges to professionals in galleries. The end product are artworks made from composite materials, some stable and unstable. Thus professionals are faced with a dilemma to reconcile the conservation needs of these artworks and the artists’ expression of their concepts. Moreover, in the absence of remedial conservation measures, artworks are prone to deterioration. This is worsened by dwindling donor and government funding which negatively impacts on the gallery's capacity to conserve the art. Additionally, conceptual expression, artistic creativity, and commercialisation of the art are of priority over conservation. Therefore there is need to maintain a balance between the need to express concepts and commercialise the art on one hand and to conserve the contemporary artworks on the other hand.     

Hurry Up,Please. It's Time—State of Emergency

This article explores the ethics of preservation, both as they have been traditionally established and as they might apply to current and future digital preservation efforts. The first part of the article reviews the literature of the past two decades to see how the preservation community has defined the ethical dimensions of its work, as well as developed guidelines to support an ethical practice. The second part considers digital preservation and the ways it both extends and complicates established ethical tenets. Digital preservation challenges the library community to revisit fundamental preservation practices and responsibilities. Our ability to come to consensus on these issues will be critical for the public's continued trust in our roles as stewards of the cultural record.     

古籍保护学科建设研究：背景、现状及空间

古籍文化遗产作为传承中华传统文化的重要载体,其保护和流传价值为国家和社会发展所重视,也为古籍保护学科建设带来契机,以研究引领或保障古籍保护的科学、规范化发展成为题中之义。在评析现有主要古籍保护研究团队的研究特点的基础上,阐明问题:对古籍保护能否成为一门学科的论证不足,对古籍保护学科建设的理解有失全面,对于学科建设的背景和环境缺少关照,缺乏实证研究和国际话语意识。进而提出,应在中国特色哲学社会科学框架下,在理解学科建设内涵和一般性规律的基础上,设计古籍保护学科建设实施方案,进行教育教学改革实证研究,科学建构古籍保护理论体系。     

Altered surfaces,taking the long view: Applications of ethnographic conservation practices to the conservation of contemporary art

While working together on tradition-based and contemporary works at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) and in private practice, the authors found that their expertise in ethnographic conservation can be applied to the conservation of contemporary works. The treatment approach to ethnographic works has evolved over decades, shifting from alteration of original surfaces and heavy restoration to an emphasis on preserving the original integrity of the artwork through minimal intervention. This paper describes the evolution of ethnographic object conservation regarding surface alteration, while specifically focusing on African objects, and discusses applications of this approach to the conservation of contemporary art. The historical change in treatment attitudes is presented using examples from NMAfA's collections to underscore why the profession developed a minimal intervention approach and to argue for the relevance of this approach to related contemporary media.     

Street art conservation in Athens: Critical conservation in a time of crisis

Street art, public murals, and graffiti are forms of contemporary art which flourish in the urban environment. The current socioeconomic and political crisis in Greece has rendered Athens a living city canvas that attracts artists, art lovers, young people, tourists, journalists, and photographers. The conservation of street art in extreme outdoor conditions is a new area of interest for conservation research and practice. Since 2010 the Conservation of Wall Paintings Laboratory of the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art (CAWA) of the Technological Educational Institute (TEI), Athens has been engaged in a project to explore ethics, carry out documentation, and initiate new research into street art and its conservation. Since 2012, Street Art Conservators (St.a.co.), a team comprising academics, conservators, and students from CAWA has worked in the streets of Athens for the preservation of street art. The protection and conservation of street art require the creation of a critical mass of people who are interested in the study and preservation of street art, co-operative conservation work and research, and the documentation and digital mapping of street art as an alternative means for its preservation.     

Refocusing a gift program in an academic library

Colorado State University Libraries' recent decision to eliminate its general gift program—and to restrict future gifts-in-kind to materials supporting archives and special collections—came within the context of a number of converging external pressures. In this article, the authors will examine issues arising from a major change in gift operations, as well as report on the collaborative efforts to formulate, implement, and communicate to constituencies a new policy on gift acquisitions.