The Conservation Department
Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum
is pleased to announce its sixth edition of the FUTURE TALKS conference series:
FUTURE TALKS 019
SURFACES
LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS ON TECHNOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF THE MODERN
Duration: November 11 to 13, 2019
Organiser: Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum
Location: Ernst von Siemens-Auditorium, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany
‘Unless we understand a certain material – metal or resin and plastic – understanding the processes that turn it from ore, for example – we can never develop and define form that’s appropriate.’
Jonathan Ive
TOPIC
Both in the design and the art world surfaces are the first reference point and the interface between object and recipient.
Designers and artists, as well as the industry spent a lot of energy and research into the development of surface structures, whether they might be glossy, matt, transparent, transluscent or coloured, responsive, smart or intelligent.
The professional treatment of surfaces is often the ultimate and most difficult challenge for the conservator of modern heritage. Besides a profound knowledge of materials and technologies the conservator needs to have the necessary skills available to handle these challenges in a most reasonable, appropriate and professional way.
The FUTURE TALKS 019 conference is focussing on the evolution and role of modern surface technologies in design and art, the diversity of visual qualities and appearences, the ageing phenomena and its public reception, scientific research, documentation techniques, decision-making and the practical conservation treatments involved.
During the three day conference an interdisciplinary set of experts from all over the world
(24 nations at the last FUTURE TALKS conference) will share their experiences and knowledge in this field.
It is with great pleasure that we are able to offer a full day of workshops all related to our this year’s topic modern SURFACES.
The detailed conference programme and further information on fees and registration will be posted by mid-May 2019.
CALL FOR PAPERS
The FUTURE TALKS 019 are focussing on modern SURFACES.
In order to foster lively and interdisciplinary dialogue we invite submissions from conservators, conservation scientists, designers, architects, artists, curators and engineers.
Suggested themes are:
+ Coatings
+ Colourings
+ Surface structuring
+ Surface treatments (industry and conservation world)
+ Finish qualities
+ Identification and analysis of surface charactaristica
+ Patina
+ Surface damages
+ Moulding of surface structures
+ Retouching challenges
+ Innovative documentation techniques
+ Implementation of failure guides (application in industry and conservation)
+ Responsive surfaces
+ Intelligent / smart surfaces
+ Digital / virtual surfaces
Recent advances in this field, addressing technology, design and production processes, new and innovative treatment and analysis methods as well as current conservation research and ongoing projects are very welcome.
As we are aiming to create a dynamic event, the format of the presentations need not be a plenary talk. Ideas for workshops and panel discussions are of interest.
HOW TO APPLY?
There are two ways to get involved, by either presenting a formal paper or submitting a poster. Preference for oral presentation will be given to papers dealing with current research. An abstract needs to be submitted for both options and should include:
– The full title of the paper
– Full names, postal addresses and e-mail address of the contact author
– A summary of the paper (between 300 and 500 words)
– Biographies of authors (max. 100 words)
– Graphs, pictures, tables or references should not be included
– Papers for the conference should be tailored to a 25-minute presentation time frame
All works submitted must be original and not have been published elsewhere.
The language of the symposium and proceedings will be in English.
The deadline for submission of abstracts is November 30, 2018
Please send your ideas for a contribution to: bechthold@die-neue-sammlung.de
A selection committee will review the abstracts and notify authors by January 31, 2019.
The presentations (lectures / posters) will be published in the form of postprints.
Authors will be required to submit a final paper to the organisers at the conference.
The submitted papers for publication must be proof-read by a native English speaker.
The papers will be subject to a peer review and editing process.
Participation from students and professionals from allied fields is highly encouraged.
The conference and associated postprints will be in English.
There will also be social events and opportunities to visit local conservation studios, research labs, plastic producers and design studios!
The detailed conference program and further information about fees and registration will be posted mid-May 2019.
THE FUTURE TALKS
With more than 1000 participants in the last 10 years the FUTURE TALKS became a highly recognised and established forum for interdisciplinary lectures, workshops and discussions on modern materials and technologies and its impact to the world of conservators, scientists, designers, artists and the gallerie scene.
With the focus on an increasing number of interdisciplinary contributions related to technologies and modified analysis techniques, our goal is to improve the decision-making process in the conservation of modern materials and to discuss / define possible ways of active treatments.
FUTURE TALKS helps to raise public awareness to the fact that even serial products are faced with a gradual degradation process of material which can result at worst in a loss of cultural identity and history.
THE ORGANISER
Conservation Department. Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum
Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum houses the world’s largest and most important collection of industrial design. The large number of objects reflects the technologies and materials developed in the course of the 20th and 21st century, attesting in particular to the use of plastics. However, unlike most traditional materials these are subject to a dynamic ageing process and after only a short time often already bear irreversible traces of their age. Corresponding types of damage can hardly be reconciled with the respective designer’s original intentions and are often problematic in terms of conservation. Since its founding in 2002, the Conservation Department has become an important hub for the conservation and maintenance of modern design objects, through research into the deterioration and preservation of the collections, the development of new conservation processes and the knowledge of its original technology. It also plays an active role in networking and information sharing and takes part in national and international research projects in the conservation of design.
Beyond the participation at international conferences with numerous lectures on the conservation of plastics we held lectureships at the University College of London (UCL) in Doha, Qatar and the Technische Universität in Munich (TUM).
Both knowledge and network expanded to FUTURE TALKS – an international platform initiating an intensive and profound discourse on practical conservation treatments of modern materials.
CONTACT
Tim Bechthold [Dipl.Rest.Univ.]
Head of Conservation
bechthold@die-neue-sammlung.de
Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum
‘Good things are always complex’, Wolf Vostell