ABSTRACT

In 2017 and 2018 the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) engaged in long-term conservation projects for two of its most iconic artworks, For SAAM (2007) by Jenny Holzer (b. 1950) and Megatron/Matrix (1995) by Nam June Paik (1932–2006). In both works, underlying technologies were replaced due to failure and obsolescence. Contemporary art conservators have developed methods and ethics for evaluating these fraught decisions. Stakeholders designate work-defining properties to establish an artwork’s identity, and assess treatments and exhibitions based on whether these properties persist. However, an artwork’s identity always has a degree of fluidity and contingency. The culture of the collecting institution and the opinions of those involved influence treatment decisions and the resulting evolution of the artwork and its identity. This paper presents case studies that highlight the creative and authorial roles museum staff play in conserving and exhibiting iterative artworks. Conservators are becoming more comfortable acknowledging the subjective and authorial decisions they make when managing change in artworks. Effective documentation acknowledges these roles and in so doing leaves the door open for future practitioners to reinforce previous decisions or reevaluate them and follow alternative paths.

摘要

2017 年和 2018 年，史密森尼美国艺术博物馆 (SAAM) 为其两件最具标志性的艺术品进行了长期保护项目，珍妮·霍尔泽 (Jenny Holzer，生于 1950 年) 的SAAM (2007) 和威震天/Matrix(1995) 白南准 (1932–2006)。在这两部作品中，底层技术都因故障和过时而被替换。当代艺术保护者已经制定了评估这些令人担忧的决定的方法和伦理。利益相关者指定工作定义属性来建立艺术品的身份，并根据这些属性是否持续来评估处理和展览。然而，一件艺术品的身份总是具有一定程度的流动性和偶然性。收藏机构的文化和相关人员的意见会影响处理决策以及由此产生的艺术品及其身份的演变。本文介绍的案例研究强调了博物馆工作人员在保护和展示迭代艺术品方面所发挥的创造性和作者作用。保护人员在管理艺术品变化时，越来越愿意承认他们做出的主观和作者决定。有效的文档承认这些角色，并且这样做为未来的从业者打开了大门，以加强以前的决定或重新评估它们并遵循替代路径。