Current Approaches, Solutions and Practices in Conservation of Cultural Heritage
Updating Traditional Ethical Approaches for the Conservation of Contemporary Art
Ece Erman, Jane HendersonFrom the past to the present, experts have developed opinions and suggestions on protecting works of art sometimes prompted by negative consequences of past conservation practice. In response, ethical advice and practice was developed by practitioners and, through consensus, some of these have become de-facto ethical standards. The sector continuously returns to the need to establish common ethical standards to guide conservation practice in the protection of the works and support their transfer to the next generation. This article notes traditional ethical standards of respected institutes and theorists in Europe which were designed based on the conservation of classical works of art. The applicability of minimum intervention and recognisable practices of conservation is a debatable issue for professionals. As contemporary artists draw on a vast range of available materials, there are many transient and non-permanent materials and various conceptual approaches available for the construction of their artworks. The approaches currently adopted by many for the conservation of classical artworks might be appropriate for contemporary art, but, equally, the changing material and concept of the artwork might cause a rethink of traditional solutions. The article examines how these approaches match the challenges of contemporary art, which has revolutionized materials, techniques and even conceptions of art itself. We ask: does the artist’s intent and the variety of materials and methods push the limits of current ethical approaches? In this context, we examine, with the use of case studies, whether conservators can apply ethical strategies such as minimum intervention and recognizability to the conservation of contemporary works of art.