Developing a strategy for the conservation of performance-based artworks at Tate (2019)

Posted on Mon, 06/10/2019 - 17:45

Publication on the Strategy for the conservation of performance-based artworks at Tate. Attached to the article are templates used at Tate to document and preserve performance-based art in the collection.

 

Abstract

Over the past 2 years, Tate’s approach to the conservation of performance-based artworks has been evolving, propelled by the increasing presence of performance-based artworks in Tate’s collection and Tate’s participation in various related research projects. Tate’s current approach is informed by views from performance studies around the relationship between performance and documentation, and recent considerations of the impact of performance on the systems and structures of the museum. One of the main outcomes of this approach has been the development of a Strategy for the Documentation and Conservation of Performance. This strategy takes into account advances in conservation theory around time-based media and performance art generated from within Tate, aimed at ensuring the continued activation of performance-based works from the collection. This article explores the process of developing the strategy including the definition of terminology and the creation of three documentation tools: Performance Specification, Activation Report and Map of Interactions.

 

Read the full article here:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19455224.2019.1604396