{"title":"Instilling liveliness: archives of neo-avant-garde art as sites of activation.","authors":"Aga Wielocha","doi":"10.1080/19455224.2024.2347201","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artists' archives, typically a legacy trove rather than a site for public engagement, are not expected to encompass art. However, since the mid-twentieth century, factors like the 'dematerialisation of art', defiance against conventional art categorisations, and the prioritisation of the creative process over its outcomes, have all blurred the lines between artworks and their documentation. Consequently, a significant portion of art produced during the 1960s and 1970s still resides in archives, distributed in art objects and documents. By examining the archives of Ecart, an artistic collective that operated within the broader Fluxus network in 1970s Switzerland, this study proposes activation as an alternative strategy for caring for and securing the continuation of such art, which is often found scattered across various archival holdings. Ultimately, the research suggests activation as a way of expanding conservation beyond the exclusive domain of trained conservators, transforming it into a collective responsibility shared by diverse archive stakeholders.</p>","PeriodicalId":43004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Institute of Conservation","volume":"47 2","pages":"166-182"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11197214/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the Institute of Conservation","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19455224.2024.2347201","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"0","JCRName":"HUMANITIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Artists' archives, typically a legacy trove rather than a site for public engagement, are not expected to encompass art. However, since the mid-twentieth century, factors like the 'dematerialisation of art', defiance against conventional art categorisations, and the prioritisation of the creative process over its outcomes, have all blurred the lines between artworks and their documentation. Consequently, a significant portion of art produced during the 1960s and 1970s still resides in archives, distributed in art objects and documents. By examining the archives of Ecart, an artistic collective that operated within the broader Fluxus network in 1970s Switzerland, this study proposes activation as an alternative strategy for caring for and securing the continuation of such art, which is often found scattered across various archival holdings. Ultimately, the research suggests activation as a way of expanding conservation beyond the exclusive domain of trained conservators, transforming it into a collective responsibility shared by diverse archive stakeholders.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of the Institute of Conservation is the peer reviewed publication of the Institute of Conservation (Icon). As such, its aims reflect those of Icon, to advance knowledge and education in conservation and achieve the long term preservation and conservation of moveable and immoveable cultural heritage. The Journal provides a collective identity for conservators; it promotes and supports both the profession and professionalism. With international contributions on all aspects of conservation, it is an invaluable resource for the heritage sector. The specific aims of the Journal are to: 1. promote research, knowledge and understanding of cultural heritage conservation through its history, practice and theory 2. provide an international forum to enable and disseminate advances in research, knowledge and understanding relating to conservation and heritage 3. champion and support professional standards of heritage conservation in the UK and internationally 4. provide a permanent record of issues relating to conservation and heritage 5. be financially and operationally sustainable. To achieve these aims, the Journal invites contributions from all those involved in the conservation of cultural heritage and related activities. Areas of interest include understanding cultural heritage materials and their degradation; subject reviews and histories of cultural heritage materials and conservation treatments; new, innovative or improved approaches to conservation and collections care theory, practice, communication, management and training; case studies demonstrating new, innovative or improved approaches; and conservation in its wider context. Submitters are encouraged to demonstrate how their work is of practical application to conservation. To maintain professional standards and promote academic rigour, submissions of articles and shorter notices are subject to an anonymous peer review process.