Part 5. Posters

Developing a single protocol for the preservation of kinetic artifacts in technical and scientific museums can be challenging. Many factors need to be taken into consideration, such as the number of identical technical and scientific artifacts produced and displayed in other collections, their productive processes, and whether they are serial or handcrafted as unique pieces. The museum also needs to address essential issues such as long-term storage of artifacts, perishable machines, whether or not to display objects with parts in motion, and how an exhibit can help visitors understand the movement of a machine.

Technical and scientific museums are involved daily with the issue of preserving objects with moving parts. A display of moving machines provides an immersive experience for the visitor, but it can generate risks to the objects’ materials and components. Unlike unique works created by an artist with aesthetic intentions, technical and scientific machines were developed for practical purposes and often have a productive function. They can also be handcrafted, as in the case of scientific instruments, models, or replicas. For this reason, the development of a single preservation strategy can be difficult. The case studies below illustrate some of the challenges routinely faced by the museum.

Artist Jonathan Borofsky (b. 1942) is famous for his large, kinetic, outdoor sculptures. This paper presents the conservation of Ballerina Clown, an outdoor sculpture in the Collection Museum Ludwig Forum Aachen (Germany), and gives an overview of the history, technology, and conservation of the mechanism inside the sculpture. Conservation and restoration treatments became necessary following damage due to vandalism. During the conservation process, the motion of the leg was adjusted.

This paper presents the study and treatment of Light Dynamo, a Rotor by Heinz Mack (b. 1931), which was carried out by the Laboratorio di Restauro Materiali dell’Arte Contemporanea (Conservation Department of Contemporary Art Materials) of the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro (ISCR) in Rome. Light Dynamo is an assemblage of wooden panels forming a box. Inside is an aluminum-coated disk connected to an electric mechanism, which allows its slow rotation. The work is in the collection of the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GNAM), which acquired it from the Salita gallery in Rome in 1986. It had never been exhibited because of its poor condition. The treatment focused on the conservation of the constituent materials and the refunctionalization of the kinetic system, made possible with the collaboration of the artist’s studio.

Large-scale, outdoor kinetic sculptures by artists such as Alexander Calder, George Rickey, and Pol Bury face new and formidable challenges from the effects of global climate change. Although the sculptures are well engineered, and many have been on continuous outdoor display for decades, more powerful and frequent storms brought about by climate change are creating both catastrophic and small-scale damage as well as increasing the overall rate of wear. Protocols need to be developed and implemented to address this rising threat. Innovative site-specific analysis and the implementation of protections by the Fondation Beyeler for Calder’s The Tree (1966) present a possible model for long-term outdoor display of similar kinetic objects.

“From Flickering to Light” was a master’s thesis project carried out in 2014 at the Institut für Konservierung und Restaurierung, Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Vienna. It was based on Strutturazione cinevisuale abitabile (1964), a light-kinetic artwork by Milanese artist Gianni Colombo (1937–1993), now in the collection of Austria’s Neue Galerie Graz, Universalmuseum Joanneum. Malfunctioning technical components restricted exhibition of the artwork. Based on in-depth research into the artist’s conception, the history of the object, and its technology, preservation strategies were developed that focused on the installation’s electrical and technical issues.

Death of a moment (2007) is a kinetic, room-size installation created by the Swiss Neo-Dada artist Urs Fischer (b. 1973). The installation’s floor-to-ceiling mounted mirrors are set in motion by a hydraulic system, making the space appear to distort and fluctuate. Acquired by the Dakis Joannou Collection in 2007, it was installed as a permanent artwork at the DESTE Foundation in Athens, Greece. This project presented numerous challenges related to the artwork’s production and long-term presentation, including site obstruction, the availability of components, coordination with various specialists, and spatial planning. This paper discusses the solutions adopted by the Dakis Joannou Collection to install and maintain Death of a moment and to plan for its long-term preservation.

This paper presents the conservation of seven kinetic artworks created between 1965 and 1969 by Dutch artist Ray Staakman (b. 1941). The artworks are made of various materials—aluminum or tin plate in combination with polystyrene sheets, painted chipboard, painted metal, or metal springs—but all contain one or two electric motors. The artworks had malfunctions that were caused by broken motors and the deformation of moving parts. The challenge in this project was finding a balance between respecting the artist’s intent and respecting the authenticity of the original materials. Is it permissible to improve kinetic mechanisms by replacing original parts of the artworks?

This paper describes the decision-making process used in the conservation of Hout Auto (Wood Car) by Joost Conijn (b. 1971). One of the crucial questions behind conservation strategies was whether to interpret the vehicle as a kinetic artwork or as a motionless relic. Possible approaches toward the work’s preservation were discussed with the artist and with a panel of professionals from various disciplines. These discussions, which resulted in the decision to preserve the vehicle as a static sculpture, brought new insights to different analytical approaches.