Documenting installation art: evaluating and mapping condition and iterations

Tutor Alessandra Guarascio – Conservator, Installations and Contemporary Art

Saturday 28 September 2024 (Italian time)

Registration cost: On-line attendance price €80

Course topic

What does it mean to take care of an installation artwork when it enters a collection? Likewise, why would a museum decide to collect, care for, and preserve such complex artwork that defies conventional approaches to conservation? In works of installation art, such questions play a central role in the decision-making process of the conservator.

Documenting complex works of art in many contemporary art institutions is not always a straightforward process, especially when it comes to establishing the behavior of an object.

This workshop is meant to explore current approaches to gather and analyze complex installations in the different stages of their life in the museum and will examine and compare a particular set of documents established as a key set to follow iterations, such as display requirements, installation instructions, and iteration reports as defined by different institutions.

Index of topics

The following topics will also be covered during the workshop.

• Analysis and identification of the different typologies of installations.
• Interpretation of the documentation provided by sellers and/or donors as well as artists’ recommendations for presentation, if any, and identification of the essential aspects that reflect the original aesthetic and meaning of the work.
• Editing of different forms of installation instructions to respond to the different needs; in the event of non-existent documentation, including notes, sketches, images, and descriptions, it is requested a further involvement of the artist.
• We will additionally investigate the artwork defining properties and the potential replaceability of installation components, including technological.