Contemplating documentation in the field of conservation of contemporary art

Joana Teixeira

Keywords: contemporary art, documenting, act, process, contributors

Abstract

Contemplating documentation of contemporary art is to think deeply about its conservation. Preservation proves impossible without first going through an extensive path of approach to the work, and this approximation is composed of several and distinct phases, intricate to the different elements and values that make up the same work. Documentation will as such, go deeply into the artistic language, understanding the codes, record meaning, forms, compositions, transmitting through different means and languages that which is visualized, interpreted, recognized, distinctive. Uniqueness present in the junction of materiality and conceptuality. Documentation is an act and a process. Documentation of a contemporary work of art can be a complex, limited and limiting act; a dynamic, challenging and very questioning process. Documentation involves the active, direct, and indirect participation of different contributors.

“Documentation: The information about the object. This may be in the form of an archive of documents and images but can also be passed in information makers/private owners/past repairers tell you. It is important to record this information as part of the documentation of the object. The process of creating documents to record the state of an object and any conservation actions, which have been applied to it. Documentation may consist of written descriptions, diagrams, drawings, photographs, scans, and results of analytical research. The documentation of conservation actions should include guidance about the housing, handling, use, and long-term care of the object. For example, X-radiographs, drawings, photographs, written reports, computer files, photogrammetry, laser-scanning, etc. Note: This term can also refer to the process itself.” Schindler, M., 2022, pg.32.

Introductory note

Contemplating documentation is to identify the information about a particular work, either through different means and methods, or by the process itself, that is, the very act of documenting. And it is before this indirectly forked path that a reflection and the sharing of possibilities occur when faced with "documenting" contemporary art.

The act of documenting is undoubtedly the great foundation in the whole context of the conservation of a work of art, so it will be important to reflect on the dynamics that involve both the process and the creation of documents, and to deepen the issues of documentation related to the grand universe of contemporary art. Thus, reflection will start from a brief contextualization on the importance of documentation of international scope and relevant guidelines, in addition to the panorama of the practices of museological institutions; reflect on some of the repercussions throughout the documentation process, defined by specific characteristics of contemporary works of art, and which will have different frameworks in view of their physical permanence; as well as considering methods and means of documentation, through a brief reference to contemporary works, or the role played by the artist, among other contributors in the documentation process and consequently, exhibition. These include curators as interpreters and participants in the artistic code, assistants, assembly, and disassembly technicians of the exhibitions, among others, in addition to the participation of the artist as a fundamental source of information

The act and process of documenting

Before further detailing specific issues of documentation processes, including those related to contemporary works of art, it would be important to make a brief contextualization of the importance and evolution of documentation practices¹. The processes and acts of documenting refer to an important space related to the management of collections ² by the intrinsic needs of organization, logistics, maintenance, and monitoring of such collections. Consequently, the relationship of documentation processes and their inevitable application in the specific context of museological institutions will be clear, a process associated with the musealization process and involving several areas, such as security, control, permanence and safeguarding of the work or object³. Following the needs and difficulties felt in the institutions, there has been a constant reflection towards the search and definition of norms and good practices; an effort with a reflection in the international context and which is the focus of several working groups.

It would be essential, as such, to highlight the main representative of museum documentation studies and the role played by the International Committee for Documentation, CIDOC⁴. the creation and dissemination of standards, models, and standards. During its early years, CIDOC was vastly supported by the UNESCO-ICOM Documentation Centre, established in 1986.

Essential references require highlighting, such as the International Guidelines for Information on Museum Objects⁵ launched in 1995; or the Declaration of Documentation Principles in Museums⁶, dated 2012.

It would be necessary to develop another chapter concerning the standards that assist the documentation processes, primarily referring the Conceptual Reference Model of CIDOC and SPECTRUM⁷. SPECTRUM is one of the main international standards, which can be accessed through the Collection Trust⁸ website, version 5.0, launched in 2017. On examination, the way primary procedures are organized and defined can be perceived, among them: entry of objects, acquisition and adhering, location and movement control inventory, cataloguing, object output, loans, and documentation planning. On a second level of information recording, fields such as: the verification of conditions and technical evaluation, the care and conservation of collections, evaluation, insurance, and indemnification, among others (McKenna, G. e Patsatzi, E., 2009).

On the other hand, there is technological management software, such as MuseumPlus⁹, a flexible management medium that is adjustable to the needs of both the user or the type and or size of the collection, gallery, or museum and which allows the creation of a database and documentation.

With this brief contextualization, which can be deepened through the consultation of the ICOM guide, How to Manage a Museum: Practical Manual¹⁰, the dynamics and complexity associated with the documentation process and its data management can be understood, subsisting from the interaction with a series of variants dictated by the characteristics of the collections they host.

Heterogeneity and repercussions on the documentation process

By definition, a document may be considered as everything that is the result of a record, regardless of the support or format that composes it. For all works and objects, including the various typologies existing in the large group of contemporary art, the traditional procedures of the documentation process are followed. However, and in view of characteristics such as the relationship between conceptuality and matter, interaction with space, ephemerality, and material obsolescence, it is fundamental to understand what implications arise when documenting and recording information.

As in past situations, it was essentially within the museological institutions that several of the difficulties and issues began to arise, often associated with works such as installations, created using organic and perishable materials, or works with a strong technological component, and of which there was not enough information to expose them again, or even recreate them.

Giving consideration, and from an observer’s perspective, an installation such as Marulho, by Cildo Meireles, created in 1991 and reformulated in 2001, is an excellent example of such assumptions and the unavoidable need for information. Composed of books, wood, and sound, it raises questions related to both the constituent materials and the conceptual components in its relationship with space and immateriality in an interaction with sound. The Marulho installation has been exhibited in different exhibition spaces, so it will have the ability to adapt, but its re-exhibition should follow several measures. The sum of the various records should reflect the artist's intention as of his first exhibition and maintain the coherence of the work in all its dimensions, as was possible in 2013 in the exhibition at the Serralves Museum.

Starting from this example, the dimension the documentation process reaches can be summarized, contemplating that a complete record of the information solely associated with the sound component of the installation should contain: the description of meaning, the technical description, the equipment and recording formats, the place of sound output, the intensity of the installation, as well as its relationship with the total area of the exhibition hall, among other variants, because all these factors will directly or indirectly affect the perception and interaction of the viewer before the installation as a whole.

Another example could be Anish Kapoor's Symphony for a Beloved Sun exhibited in 2013 in Berlin, which was re-exhibited in Beijing in 2019. The photographic records show evidence of the differences between the relationship of the installation and the exhibition space, so it will have a differentiated effect and perception in the viewer, transforming the involvement with the work.

Despite these visual records, let us raise the question: how can the coherence of this installation in a third space with different characteristics be guaranteed? Undoubtedly, the answer will be given with some ease by the artist, but in his/her absence, and as a result of this questioning, it is current practice that the acquisition of a work with certain characteristics is accompanied by a 'manual' that aids its interpretation and materialization. In addition, there are works that do not have physical permanence in the groups of collections but are a set of descriptive and technical instructions and guidelines that allow their material and conceptual realization.

Primary sources of information: the artist among the various contributors

In this process of approximation and documentation of works of art, there are contributors with well-defined functions in the documentation processes, such as registers¹¹, conservator-restorers, technicians, assistants, etc. In view of the requirements presented by contemporary art, the work is usually carried out by interdisciplinary teams, to cover all issues, whether technical, material, or conceptual, and it is often the conservative who assumes the role of mediator of the process, establishing bridges between the various dimensions and their team members.

In an international context, research has been developed through various working groups and discussions on the needs presented in the face of lack of information and lack of documentation since the mid-1990s (Scholte and Wharton, 2011). In the search for solutions, it was evident that the artist would have to be involved in the process. Several museum institutions with collections of contemporary art played a key role in this context, however, it is worth highlighting the action developed by the International Network for the Conservation of Contemporary Art, INCCA. Through projects focused on promoting the participation of artists and the development of participation models and effective tools, including the interview, methods, and standards of action essential for the correct decision making were designed. The interview currently represents one of the most effective tools in the construction of documentation. (INCCA, 2016)

In 1999, the Decision-Making Model for the Conservation and Restoration of Modern and Contemporary Art was created, with the objective of constituting a tool that would assist the process of analysis of the works and their definition of an intervention plan. Given to the immense challenges implemented by the heterogeneity and diversity of artistic manifestations, the model was revised according to its applicability to several case studies (Giebeler et al, 2021).

Nevertheless, it may not always be possible to contact the artist or his/her technical team, with the works falling into a dimension of the unknown that makes it impossible to move towards a decision-making process that respects the work in all its dimensions. The scarcity of information may, as such, exist at various levels, including that related to the constituent materials themselves.

An example is Nam June Paik, (Nam June Paik, Untitled, 1993, closed-circuit video sculpture, MoMA, © 2021 Estate of Nam June Paik) by Nam June Paik, created in 1993, and designated as a closed-circuit video sculpture. The work consists of an altered piano playing a composition by John Cage through a computer program, and images of different moments of the manipulation of the piano are displayed on screens, in addition to the live transmission of images captured by two video cameras. The work was on exhibition at MoMA in 1994 and 2007, resulting in several technical problems. The 1994 exhibition saw contacting the artist possible, consenting to updating of the technology, but stressing that the introduction of new equipment should not be visible to the viewer. However, it did not define a conservation plan. As a result, the 2007 exhibition was faced with technical problems that could only be solved by using other sources of information, either through the artist's technical team or through the joint work with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which has in its collection an identical work, the Piano Piece (Nam June Paik, Piano Piece, 1993. Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York. Sarah Norton Goodyear Fund, 1993). (Hamilton, 2003; Wharton, 2013¹²)

Conversely, and in addition to being a source of information, the artist may be the promoter of that same source. Among many cases, the example of Gary Hill's official website is given (see: http://garyhill.com). With open access, the artist provides updated information, as well as visual and descriptive documentation of the works which have been performed since 1974. The possibility of accessing one of the works, such as "Hole in the wall", for example, and the availability of description, bibliography, history of the exhibition, with information in downloadable PDF format, is undoubtedly an extremely useful and reliable source for future exhibition projects or for research and research.

Others are the forms of support and obtaining information, such as exhibition catalogues, news and criticism stemming from them, different visual and audio-visual records that may result from the visit or participation of an exhibition or action, and not least the public. Tino Seghal's works are an excellent example, and the artist's own desire not to document in either visual, audio-visual, or written format is an excellent example. It is intended that such documentation should be immaterial and remain as a memory, bringing about the enjoyment and interaction of the public. (Tromp and Hogenboom, 2011)

Conclusive notes

Documents and the documentation process may have several origins, an act strongly developed through conservation practices, within the framework of museological institutions.

However, the contextualization of works in space, heterogeneity and rapid material obsolescence related to contemporary works of art, mainly installations, imposed added dynamic and interdisciplinary practices, forcing the inescapable crossing between activities. This has resulted in the collaboration of various contributors from numerous areas involved in the technical process and in a perspective of transmitting information/work/object in a clear and permanent way.

With safeguarding as the main objective, the act of documenting is implicit and inherent to itself, requiring the standardization and permanence of actions that consist in the compilation of data and the treatment of the information obtained in and of each work /object. On the one hand, if documentation is created referring to the assortment or collection through the entry, location, movement of objects, etc., on the other hand, there is a need to generate documents related to 'use' actions, such as displaying or loaning, and finally, administrative, and contractual documents, such as the exchange of information between institutions or insurers. In addition to such management associated with what to document, it is essential to add how to document and take into account all possible or probable formats, whether physical or digital, based on textual, visual recording or in audio or audio-visual formats.

When the creative act is a registration form often materialized in one or more registers without creative intent, as can happen with performance or urban art, among others, several may be the questions that arise on the artistic status that the documentation tool reaches in an exhibition context, abandoning its function of representation of a moment or work.

In short, the document is as such a testimony of an action and intent, interpretation, or contextualization. It will be created by several contributors and read by several users; hence it should reduce the margin of error in the face of possible reading and interpretation failures. Being a means and instrument to continue the construction of 'history', it is necessary to ensure or enable the legitimation of a given register of abiding information in an act with imperative awareness and responsibility. In the absence of such awareness, information will be permeable to new interpretations, with consequent new uses or new meanings.

Finally, the possibility of a pleonasm can be highlighted, in that traditionally, the documentation is focused on material issues and its authenticity, but it is certain that the concern of safeguarding and remaining works prevail so much associated with the materiality of the works. Also in this perspective, contemporary art comes to challenge the system of interpretation and introduces new dimensions, such as intention and concept, which have as much or more importance than matter. Depending on the works, the exercise of the registration of information (act and/or process), must inhabit such dynamic and able to call and involve all possibly necessary interpreters. Only in such a way will the space for subjectivity be diminished, respecting the tangible and intangible side that belongs to and distinguishes contemporary artistic heritage.

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