Title

Preserving Contemporary Kinetic Artworks

(La conservazione delle opere cinetico-visuali di arte contemporanea)

Name

Paolo Martore

Affiliation(s)

Tuscia University of Viterbo, Italy

Supervisor(s)

Lydia Beerkens

Reinhard Bek

Date of completion

April 2007

Key words

Kinetic Art; technology-based art; conservation theory; ethics; authenticity; identity; decision-making; obsolescence; replacements; installations

Abstract

The Kinetic Art has always played a paradigmatic role in the debate about the conservation of the contemporary art, also because of its capability of leading the way through the technological dimension, revealing themes that concern a wide range of artistic forms (new media, technology-based and time-based media etc.).

Meant to perform a “motion”, any kinetic artwork challenges the conservators to take care of the work and even more of its ability to work. In fact, while the motion is usually seen as the fundamental feature of the work, at the same time, it’s also considered as the greater danger, the main source of wear and tear. So, presentation and preservation of a kinetic artwork are frequently put in opposition.

Among the key points, the substitution of components stands out as a very typical and controversial event: an immediate response to the unavoidable obsolescence process that affects the technical elements. Nonetheless, the replacement of a component opens up to the possibility of improving or updating, but arouses doubts, as it lacks of an operational criterion.

The essay aims to summarize all the scattered studies on topic and to highlight themes, lexicon and views adopted so far by the experts.

How to access your dissertation

http://dspace.unitus.it/bitstream/2067/606/1/pmartore_tesid.pdf

(only in Italian)

Previous education and/or work experience

MA degree in theory of art conservation at Tuscia University of Viterbo, Italy, with a thesis entitled The abstract artworks of Ettore Colla and the problem of their conservation (Le opere astratte di Ettore Colla e la problematica della loro conservazione e restauro).

Work experiences: curator assistant at the Galleria nazionale d’arte moderna of Roma; teaching assistant for History of Contemporary Art at the Tuscia University.

Current position

Freelance researcher

Contact details

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