Physical object or variable, flexible, ephemeral and reproducible: the management and care of contemporary art collections in 2020

Abstract

This paper reflects on the central role that the idea of the artwork as a physical object has had on the development of traditional collection management practice, including documentation, conservation, storage and display. A review of the care requirements of artworks in non-traditional media, collected by the Art Gallery of New South Wales since the 1960s, demonstrates the ways in which traditional collection management practice fails to ensure the appropriate care of these works. While there is already significant research and knowledge in the area of the conservation of contemporary art, this is not always reflected in collection management practice. Taking into account recent discussions on the need for new approaches to conservation theory and ethics, Van de Vall (2009) and the possible merits of bespoke codes of ethics Ashley-Smith (2017) and Wharton (2018), this paper argues that the principles that underpin traditional collection management practice are too narrowly focused. It is proposed that a broader approach encompassing an understanding of the artwork as potentially variable, flexible, ephemeral and reproducible, is required to prompt museums to continually review systems and develop approaches that will ensure they can effectively manage these collections for the future.