The restorers’ association’s first e-book brings together conference papers on the subject of “The transience of materials” New times, new techniques and technologies – for restorers, changes to Nutella and fluorescent lamps, blood and fat and Penaten cream are a major topic. For the conservators’ association too, of course. That is why it organized the conference more than three years ago (in November 2011) […]

The conservators’ association’s first e-book brings together conference papers on the subject of “The transience of materials”

New times, new techniques and technologies – for restorers, changes to Nutella and fluorescent lamps, blood and fat and Penaten cream are a major topic. For the conservators’ association too, of course. That is why it organized the conference “The Transience of Materials” more than three years ago (in November 2011). Now the lectures have been published as a book – appropriately enough as an e-book. It is the first to be published by the association.

But whether on the computer screen or on paper, the conference proceedings reflect a discussion that could not be more topical. In addition to new, fragile materials, artists use the latest media, whose basic technical requirements are constantly changing. Joanna Phillips therefore deals with the prerequisites for the restoration of media art. And this is not just about the unsurprising demand to create more restorer positions, but also about the basic equipment of such a workplace as well as the special skills required to restore media art in the first place.

As all the authors come from the field, the volume is full of practical examples and research findings. This makes it not only interesting, but also an important aid in discussions with all those who have to decide on finances and staffing plans at museums. This book should be required reading for them.

The practical solutions, ethical considerations and detailed research descriptions – for example on the subject of blood, chalk, polyurethane, grease and fluorescent tubes – show the size and diversity of the problems associated with ageing art made from everyday materials. However, they also document how little artists care about appropriate, durable materials, but at the same time expect their works to be preserved.

In the documented conference discussion, the artist Thomas Rentmeister complains that Penaten cream, which he used as a filler, formed bubbles after a few days, meaning that the surfaces were no longer perfect. A restorer had to smooth the cream surfaces every morning during the exhibition.

Several authors in the book report on comparable examples of material selection based solely on the effect. The examples show that artists who work more with concepts than with their own hands rarely bother with material research. They use whatever achieves the desired – and often only temporary – effect without knowing the materials and their properties. Beuys’ margarine causes the metal boxes in which it is lubricated to rust, so that the fat leaks out. Dan Flavin had precise ideas about the quality of light in his installations with fluorescent lamps, but no idea what should happen after their production had ended. And Martin Honert was surprised that his chalk drawings on panels did not remain unchanged.

Joseph Beuys had a clear opinion on decay and preservation, which Maike Behrends quotes in her article on “Two ‘boxes’ by Joseph Beuys in the Beuys Block at the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt”: “In the event that such things end up in the museum, early enough, it is of course now a restoration problem for the restorers, because they want to preserve it and they have to find ways and means of preserving something like this.”

This will probably not be possible in the future without radical interventions, but what form they will take – these discussions and decisions will make many more conferences and e-books exciting.

“Die Vergänglichkeit des Materials – Künstlerintention versus Restaurierbarkeit”, download from June at: www.restauratoren.de, complete volume: 32 euros, individual contributions: 3.99 euros