New Strategies in Conservation

The central question of this research is: How can we understand - in processes of re-execution of contemporary artworks - the relationship between knowledge transfer and procedures of documentation? The aim of the research is to contribute to the awareness of the affects of documentation practices by closely examining the day-to-day practice of museum documentation procedures. The research examines how conservators and curators learn to install the work of artists by examining processes of knowledge transfer from artist to museum staff (case study 1), in the absence of the artist (case study 2), and among museum staff members (case study 3). Comparisons are made with knowledge transfer procedures developed in other art forms relying on re-execution practices, notably contemporary dance.