Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Maastricht University receive a Museum Grant for research into artworks which rely on digital files and a collaborative mode of production.
Dr Monica Marchesi, paper conservator at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and Dr Vivian van Saaze, associate professor at Maastricht University and senior researcher of modern and contemporary art at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, have been awarded a Museum Grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) for their research project titled "Print on demand: Printing digital-based artworks through a collaborative mode of production."
With this museum grant, Monica Marchesi and Vivian van Saaze will investigate how museums can carefully navigate the transition from a digital file to a photographic print. Museums are increasingly confronted with the practice of printing, due to the growing trend among artists to offer their photographic work in digital format. Instead of acquiring a physical copy of the artwork, museums purchase a digital file and the right to produce prints for exhibition purposes. This new artistic practice, however, challenges existing procedures for acquisition and conservation, as well as long-held notions of authorship and material authenticity.
The project studies the production process from digital file to photographic print. It develops a conceptual framework and practical guidelines for the acquisition and long-term care of these artworks. The research is conducted in collaboration with MACCH, Living Media Art (LIMA), the Foundation for the Conservation of Contemporary Art (SBMK) and the International Network for the Conservation of Contemporary Art (INCCA).
The NWO Research Program Museum Grants provides the opportunity for short-term research in one of the museums in the Netherlands. This research is led by an expert from the museum and is carried out in collaboration with university researchers. The main objective of this program is to promote talent development and advance scientific research within the museum sector.