SHARING KNOWLEDGE FOR THE CONSERVATION OF CONTEMPORARY ART: CHANGING ROLES IN A MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS?

Abstract

The production of ephemeral and conceptual works in contemporary art introduces new concepts of transience, which require us to reconsider some of our common preservation strategies for museum collections. The meaning of a transitory work is often conveyed through its non-tangible aspects and in the sharing of tacit knowledge, for example between the artist and the museum professional. For the preservation and presentation of these works in the way they were intended, documentation of the nontangible and tacit knowledge becomes increasingly important, especially when the documentation is the main source for the (re)presentation of the work. In this article the authors reflect on a heterogeneous and pro-active documentation practice that incorporates both non-tangible aspects and tacit knowledge (such as interviews with artists), and make a comparison with the retrospective documentation approaches common for historical objects. A better definition of the roles of the protagonists in the documentation process is necessary for the validation of the information. The authors set out the conditions for sharing such knowledge and information through a digital network.

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