Advice Conceptual Art

"In Conceptual Art, the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand, and the execution is a perfunctory affair." -   LeWitt, "Paragraphs on Conceptual Art" (1967)

The term conceptual art is derived from the art movement of the same name from the 1960s and 1970s. The idea behind conceptual art is sometimes more important than the artwork’s physical execution. There are also works of art made before and after this period with the same characteristics: think of Marcel Duchamp's ‘readymades’, for example. To distinguish between the art movement and the work/s of art made with a similar theory in mind, we prefer the term "art with a conceptual character". This definition leaves room for a broader interpretation: in some cases, hybrid works of art and art made from organic materials can also be classified under this term. This type of art presents many challenges for restoration and preservation. Art Salvage's modern art restorer can support you with the problems these works pose.

Western restoration ethics is mainly focused on the material of the object. The basic principles focus on reversibility, minimal intervention and authenticity. Keeping this in mind, the focus is then on preserving the physical integrity of the object for the future. However, this mindset is too restrictive for some types of heritage. This also applies to conceptual art: the meaning sometimes outweighs the preservation of the material. We can illustrate this with the thought experiment: "The Ship of Theseus". Theseus has a ship. This ship is subject to wear and tear, and the parts are replaced piece by piece. One hundred years later, the last original part is replaced, so the material on the ship is no longer original. Is it still the 'original' ship? Is the material or concept of the ship more important?
 

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Maintenance art in public space | Knokke-Heist

Art Salvage BE carried out annual maintenance and condition reporting of art in public space on behalf of Beaufort. They organize an art project every three years along the Belgian coast.

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