EPHEMERAL ART AND CONSERVATION 

In contemporary art, the lifespan of a work of art dropped sharply as from the beginning of the 20th century when recourse began being made to materials of every type. Artists adopted them due to their expressive capacities and communicative potential and no longer for their property of durability.

The ethnographic field, dealing with pieces holding ritual or symbolic functions, has had to face this problem right from the founding of the first collections. However, in both cases, the fragility of the object, where not its desired ephemeral nature, conflict with the prevailing desire to preserve everything, a characteristic of our current times. The resulting practical and ethical problems for the fields of museology, conservation-restoration and history of art represent an endless cause for reflection.

This meeting seeks to reflect and debate the values underpinning the difficult balance to preservation including themes such as material values versus conceptual, ritual and aesthetic values, aspects surrounding authenticity in relation to cultural and historical value, the creator’s intentions, intangibility and social functions, among others.

Time is also given over to consideration as to alternative conservation processes and how the profiles of professionals, dedicated to safeguarding that which extends beyond the material field, now extends to new means and implying creativity and particular attention not only to objects but also to communities and their surrounding contexts.

Organisation: Fundação Oriente, Institute of Museums and Conservation, Berardo Collection Museum and the Nova University of Lisbon