Abstract
Plastics in Belgian art museums, how should they be conserved? Along with their entry as new art materials, they brought new challenges on both a technical and art historical level. International research projects in heritage collections already addressed the technical problems to the identification of the materials and their rapid deterioration, resulting in identification tools and preventive conservation strategies. What remained underexposed was the artist's intention and signification of the material, in other words the art historical and philosophical aspect within conservation sciences. Through three-dimensional case studies of plastics from Belgian art collections, it bridges the two fields, focusing on the artist's practices. First, a literature and documentary study, complemented by artist interviews, contextualises the artworks and collections, and interprets the artist's intention and meaning behind the used materials. Furthermore, a survey in the participating collections maps collection management practices. Third, technical research indicates the conditions of the cases and enhances insights about the effects of the art materials on the artwork, the surrounding works and the museum. Finally, the holistic conservation approach harmonises the art historical and technical results into a protocol, that museums can implement in their collection management policies.
Researcher(s)
Research team(s)
Project type(s)