We will hear from three speakers who will present on specific case studies and consider how conservation thinking and practice is responding to objects that incorporate light, sound or movement.
In what ways do modern and contemporary sculptures perform? How are supposedly “static” objects or their materials in fact animated, how is the sound, light or movement activated?, and how might these objects be further understood by conservators?
In what ways does exhibition, display, research, and other forms of engagement make these objects come alive?
Following on from the presentations, our 3 speakers will then join a panel followed by an open discussion with you, our audience.
Speaker abstracts
Lorraine Maule
The collection of the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) contains artworks incorporating light, sound and movement that can plausibly be described as performative. Artworks whose activation is dependent on or influenced by human interaction may also be platforms for performance if the input extends beyond an on/off switch. In others the performance is immune to the living human body or free from the restrictions of its own invention, behaving independently or purely by the forces of physics and nature. Some works rely on performance/activation to function as works of art, while others don’t.
If conservators are to understand these objects, not only must they ensure the maintenance and validity of the operating parts, but also the potential of those factors to act as inherent catalysts for deterioration.
2 works in the collection, Self-Portrait by Helen Chadwick and Blind Jealousy II by Jean Tinguely, provide opportunities to examine multiple crucial factors as well as potential resolutions.
Alice Watkins
Hamad Butt’s (1962-1994) Substance Sublimation Unit (SSU) is one part of a wider installation by the artist called Familiars (1992). SSU is likely the only artwork in the world that displays the sublimation of iodine, the transformation of crystallised iodine into its gaseous form.
It consists of nine vacuum-sealed glass capsules containing crystallised iodine, arranged as if to suggest rungs on a ladder. A heat lamp gradually raises the temperature inside each unit, causing the ‘rungs’ to glow red in ascending order. When the interior of the capsule reaches 113.5°C, the iodine sublimates and transforms into a purple gas.
This act of sublimation is the most important part of the work but was at risk as the glass suffered stress cracks. Sculpture Conservators at Tate have worked closely with electrical specialists and scientific glassblowers to preserve the artist’s intent. This talk will explore the artwork, its issues, and the solutions that have evolved through research and display.
Manon Abt
Nearly lost, hardly described in archives, and operating with obsolete technologies, early computer-based artworks (1960-1991) exist at the boundaries of art and science and face difficulties entering museum collections. Through considering the reconstruction of Edward Ihnatowicz’s Senster, one of the first digital computer-based artworks, my presentation will examine conservation strategies adopted for this work and their theoretical and ethical implications. Abandoned in 1974 by the company Philips, the Senster was reconstructed in 2017 by a research team from AGH University in Krakow. The strategy adopted was to combine original parts with new ones. However, the integration of the original remains in the reconstruction of the Senster led to integrating fragility in its restoration; diminishing its liveness. I challenge the notion of authenticity based on original materiality conveyed by a humanist heritage and explore the importance of preserving the work as a performance, prioritising its liveness and durability whilst on display.
