Conservation of Contemporary Art

This open access book investigates whether and how theoretical findings and insights in contemporary art conservation can be translated into the daily work practices of conservators or, vice versa, whether and how the problems and dilemmas encountered in conservation practice can inform broader research questions and projects. For several decades now, the conservation of contemporary art has been a dynamic field of research and reflection. Because of contemporary art’s variable constitution, its care and management calls for a fundamental rethinking of the overall research landscape of museums, heritage institutions, private-sector organizations and universities. At first, this research was primarily pursued by conservation professionals working in or with museums and other heritage organizations, but increasingly academic researchers and universities became involved, for instance through collaborative projects. This book is the result of such collaboration. It sets out to bridge the “gap” between theory and practice by investigating conservation practices as a form of reflection and reflection as a form of practice.

Renée van de Vall is emeritus professor of Art & Media at Maastricht University. Her research focuses on the phenomenology of spectatorship in contemporary art, on processes of globalization of contemporary art and media, and on conservation theory and ethics in the context of contemporary art. She was project leader of various research projects, most recently (2016-2019) of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network on New Approaches in the Conservation of Contemporary Art (NACCA).

Vivian van Saaze is associate professor of Conservation Theory and Museum Studies at Maastricht University and senior specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE). She is involved in several collaborative research projects and acted as interim project leader of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network on New Approaches in the Conservation of Contemporary Art (NACCA).