Installation Art and the Museum

Abstract

Installation art has become mainstream in artistic practices. However, acquiring and displaying such artworks means that curators and conservators are challenged to deal with obsolete technologies, ephemeral materials, and other issues concerning care and management of these artworks. By analyzing three in-depth case studies, the author sheds new light on the key concepts of traditional conservation - authenticity, artist's intention, and the notion of ownership - while exploring how these concepts apply in contemporary art conservation.

How Lipman’s “caring thinking” theory for human thought may encourage the safeguarding of industrial and technological heritage

“…In Lipman's philosophy care is a conscious act which entails several modes of thinking [29].The rationale of care in culture can be related to "curation", "collection management", or "preservation or conservation" -loving or emotional actions demonstrating the moral commitment of museum professionals (as they oppose the decay caused by nature itself). A caring thinking philosophy that comes from the creationgenesis of the tangible object, which is otherwise doomed to oblivion if it is not, conserved [14].…”

“…In the postmodern era, caring thinking philosophers and stakeholders expressed their opinion that ephemeral collections, site specific monuments and art installations require alternative conservation treatments [13]. The effort to provide care, and struggle with active thinking dilemmas, has prompted conservators to consider how realistic their expectations are, and how they will negotiate with living artists so as to fulfill their expectations without compromising the values and art stories that need to emerge after conservation [14][15][16].…”