Description
This course delves into these questions by exploring conservation via notable predicaments and solutions. Among other case studies, we'll consider Oslo's contentious decision to remove a Picasso mural from a government building, a site-specific installation in an English river that "failed," and whether we can still refer to a damaged Joseph Beuys "Felt Suit" as an art object. You'll learn the differences between conservation and restoration, why site-specific and art conservation often spark controversy, and why defining the work of art is the most critical aspect of contemporary art conservation.
Led by Dr. Alison Bracker, an art historian specializing in ethics and theories of contemporary art conservation, this course considers conservation decision-making. Designed to inform curiosity and future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding and appreciation of cultural heritage preservation.
Lectures
This session introduces conservation and restoration, their differences, and their fundamental principles. We'll discuss how sculptor Antonio Canova influenced those principles, conservation's role in assigning and perpetuating cultural value, and the debate some notable restorations have provoked.
Lecture Two: “Contemporary Art: Concept vs. Material”
One of the most pressing questions in contemporary art conservation is whether to preserve an art object’s concept at the expense of its materiality, or its materials, even if doing so undermines its underlying concept. Another seeks to determine the lifespan of impermanent works of art and define their mortality. This session devotes itself to the query, "What, exactly, is the art object?"
Lecture Three: "Site-specific and Public Art”
Site-specific artworks engage with the physical features and meanings of the environments in which they sit. But what happens if that environment proves inhospitable to the work of art? What elements threaten art’s preservation? And, why must conservators reckon with the public’s reactions to such art? We'll grapple with these issues through relevant case studies.
About Your Expert
Dr. Alison Bracker is an independent art historian specializing in modern and contemporary art. She is an expert in the conservation of unusual materials in contemporary art and co-editor of Conservation: Principles, Dilemmas, and Uncomfortable Truths (Elsevier, 2009), praised as "one of the most significant books in the field of heritage conservation." Alison held a six-year post-Doctoral fellowship at the Royal College of Art and Victoria & Albert Museum before taking over the Royal Academy of Arts' Events and Lectures Program, which she ran for eight years. She continues to lecture and publish on modern and contemporary art and artists, including Hugo Wilson, Lenz Geerk, Ai Weiwei, Anselm Kiefer, Édouard Manet, and David Hockney. After a childhood in Los Angeles and 25 years in England, Alison moved to Nice, France, where she now lives and works.
FAQ
Audience
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
Duration
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.