Kintsugi: Aesthetic Value-led Conservation

Kintsugi is a traditional gold-joinery ceramic restoration technique. It restores the practicality and functionality of broken objects, while adding decorativeness. Influenced by the culture of Wabi sabi, Kintsugi stresses significance in the aesthetic value of objects. This poster presents the origin and cultural background of kintsugi, and its dialectical vision of authenticity.

Eva Hesse's Latex and Fibreglass Sculptures: A Case Study in Contemporary Conservation

 

Latex and fibreglass sculptures of pioneering artist Eva Hesse present a number of contemporary conservation challenges including rapidly degrading and fragile materials, conflicting commentary from the artist, arguments for and against refabrication, and the possibility of unstoppable destruction. 

No Object is an Island: the necessity for collaboration in Conservation Practice

Conservation is a specific discipline, but it does not work on its own. In order to successfully start the conservation process, participation in the decision-making process is important from the international level, to internal museum departments to smaller external interest groups.   

Preserving Moments: Challenges in the Conservation of Street Art

    Street art conservation is one of the more prominent and contentious topics in the field. This poster begins by briefly defining street art, framing it within the body of cultural heritage. Issues of legality, authenticity and practicality in its conservation are addressed. This is then highlighted through a case study of the recently ‘missing’ Bristol Banksy Gorilla.

Challenges between contemporary art and conservation work

 

Nowadays, the conservation of contemporary art becomes an important challenge. In this poster, the general introduction of contemporary art is given at first, and then the challenges occur during conservation. Finally, Damien Hurst's 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living 1991' is represented as case study.

How Can Conservators Aid Conflict Recovery?

 

Over fifty world heritage sites are currently at risk, many of which are as a result of conflict. This poster demonstrates that an integrated approach of legislation, interventive conservation and training for local and governmental groups is the most effective way for conservators to aid conflict recovery.

Values-Led Conservation in a Small Museum: A Case Study From the Museum of Peoples and Cultures in Provo, Utah

 This poster explores a case study of values-led conservation at a small University museum in Utah. The conservation of a collection of Andean textiles is discussed in relation to the values and resources of the institution.

Here today, gone tomorrow: Questions posed by the work of Ai Weiwei to the conservation process

Both makers and users of contemporary art are questioning values that underpin the conservation process. The work of Ai Weiwei, as this poster illustrates, neatly encapsulates one such challenge. Through reconfiguring and destroying Neolithic vases’ Ai pose’s questions about the value attributed to original material or specific conditions. 

A Tale of Two Contexts: Values-Led Conservation, Whose Values?

There have been increasing debates about how to safeguard objects that are held by Western museums but originate from a non-Western culture. Value interpretation of these objects is a constant challenge in conservation practice. 

The poster demonstrates the possible divergence of value perception occurred in different cultural contexts, hoping to improve the understanding of the significance of a holistic value-assessment approach in any conservation effort. 

 

Participatory Conservation and the West's Superiority Complex

Participatory conservation is necessary when dealing with cultural heritage. The conflicting values between western scientific methods and intangible beliefs held by indigenous communities needs to be resolved through a compassionate and collaborative approach. This poster discusses the importance of preserving human connection and the intangible aspects of artefacts.

Restoring cultural loss: conservation and restitution

 

This poster explores the role of the conservator in restitution debates. Recent emphasis on the preservation of intangible cultural heritage can be used to consider colonial taking as an act of cultural loss. Replicas have the potential to fill the material void after restitution, while also gaining new significances. 

What can conservators do to aid recovery?

 This poster explores what can be done before and after a disaster or armed conflict to speed up the recovery process while retaining value within the local community. The fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral was chosen to display the effectiveness of a disaster recovery plan when conveyed to response teams.

The Value of Vandalism: The challenges that conservators face when considering the conservation of street art

Street art can be simultaneously viewed as both an art-form and a crime. This presents conservation decision-makers with a range of considerations concerning its historical, illustrative and social value. The poster examines historically significant works of graffiti and the complications inhibiting the creation of an applicable conservation framework.

 

The Challenges of Conserving Appropriation Art

 This poster explores the practice of artists using pre-existing objects which can pose many challenges for conservators in both ethical and technical decision making.

Emerging Conservation Dilemmas: How to treat new and mixed media in contemporary art?

Challenges of conservation in the territory of contemporary art mainly originate from its new and mixed media. This poster highlights four questions for conservators to notice and understand the significance of identifying special characteristics of each item, reflecting their practices and roles facing complex conservation situations.

Poster assessment

 

3D/VR technology has become a new method that helps conservators document heritage information. This poster intends to introduce VR conservation briefly and analyze its advantages. Moreover, the poster explores its related issues that arise in conservation ethics—— technology probably damages heritage attributes and challenge conservators' guideline.