The role of conservation in new contemporary art installations in new contexts: The case of Richard Serra's East–West/West–East in Qatar

Abstract

In recent years Qatar has invested a significant sum of money on exhibitions of contemporary artists and public art. This paper discusses decision-making processes in the conservation of contemporary artworks installed in newly emerging art markets such as Qatar, where there are no established practices. In 2014, Richard Serra's East-West/West-East, an installation of four vertical plates made of weathering (Corten™) steel, which span one kilometre at heights so as to reach the level of the surrounding gypsum plateaus, was installed in the Brouq Nature Reserve near Zekreet desert, two kilometres from the sea in the western part of Qatar. The artwork is already considered by some a landmark for the isolated area. The plates have started to develop protective corrosion layers, although Corten™ is not completely corrosion resistant when located near coastal sites. They have also started to bend and are heavily inscribed by visitors. Conservation of public art is complex, as site-specific artworks are linked with the landscape and defined by the relationships they develop with the public. Art installations of this magnitude demand not only conservation measures but also a management plan. The isolated location, the scale of the artwork, the aggressive environment, and the lack of supervision and monitoring of the area challenge current practices but offer an opportunity to develop methods to preserve art of site-specific art in new environments and diverse audiences. Monitoring will allow a better understanding of the interactions of visitors with the artwork and will shed light on the material's behaviour in this specific environment.

Evolution and Evaluation of Aesthetic Properties in Weathering Steel Accelerated Patinas: The Role of Lepidocrocite

“…These installations usually take the form of large-scale pieces of art installations, which involves high weight as well and are placed outdoor in different environments, such as parks, gardens, streets or even in the desert [12]. It is also very common that sculptors and blacksmiths apply chemical treatments in order to develop an accelerated patina on metal surfaces, which are later exposed to the environment.…”

Effect of Sulfuric Acid Patination Treatment on Atmospheric Corrosion of Weathering Steel

“…Both the exposure conditions and the design of the artwork are conditioned by artistic reasons rather than material durability. Thus, there are WS works in places not recommended for applications in civil structures, such as Peine del Viento XV by Eduardo Chillida, located offshore, just a few meters from the coast [8], or East-West/West-East by Richard Serra installed in the middle of the desert in Qatar [9]. There can also be interstices and cavities designed in the artwork that may hinder proper drying of the metal surface.…”