Conservation of Contemporary Works of Art (B’2)

The Scope of the Course:
The course is an introduction to the complex issues of the conservation of contemporary artworks and is developed in both theoretical and laboratory parts in the following sections:

1.Conservation of contemporary works of art: historical context and the evolution of painting from modernism to contemporary art. Specific characteristics and diversity.
2.Materials and techniques of creation of contemporary artworks. Synthetic polymers, and ephemeral materials. Material and immaterial basis of contemporary visual artworks.
3.Pathology and special problems of preservation of contemporary visual artworks. Factors and mechanisms of deterioration. Changes and alterations in the context and the function of the artwork.
4.Ethics of conservation of contemporary artworks. Conservation of the idea and interpretation of the artwork. The shifting perception of space and time, artistic intentions, and the function of the artwork are also examined in relation to both the theoretical background of conservation and the differentiation of ethics in the conservation of contemporary artworks in both portable and fixed (street art, graffiti, public murals) supports.
5.Conservation of contemporary artworks. Case studies and decision-making model.
6.Documentation of contemporary visual artworks. Documentation as conservation. The role of the creator in the conservation of contemporary artwork. Artist interviews as a methodological tool in conservation.
7.Contemporary art in the public space. Street art, graffiti and public murals. Context of creation, values, materials and techniques, outdoor environment, pathology, and inherent ephemerality.
8.Materials and techniques of public murals, street art and graffiti.
9. Pathology of outdoor artworks. Environmental conditions, human intervention. Mechanisms of deterioration of street art, graffiti and public murals.
10.Documentation of street art, graffiti and public murals. Digital documentation. Application of non-destructive testing with portable equipment. Attribution of values and significance of street art, graffiti and public murals.
11.Conservation of street art, graffiti and public murals. Conservation in public space. Materials and techniques for cleaning, consolidation and surface protection; rescue conservation interventions.
12.Ethics of conservation of street art, graffiti and public murals. Legal framework for protection. National and international organizations for the protection of public art, street art, graffiti and public murals.
13.Presentation of case studies of conservation and restoration of public murals, street art and graffiti.
Laboratory applications are carried out on mock-ups constructed by the students, in which they reproduce techniques of contemporary artists.
Through this process, students are able to understand the function of composite materials, their semiotics and properties, and the extent to which materials and their manipulation are ultimately linked to the function, interpretation and conservation of the artwork.
Students will conduct project documentation, organize and present a model of conservation decision-making.
They also carry out documentation of street art, graffiti or public mural in an online digital documentation form and justify the values and significance of the artwork.
Finally, they carried out rescue conservation interventions in situ on public murals, graffiti and street art and on mock-ups.
Alongside the course, lectures by invited experts, visits to exhibitions and museums with contemporary art works and to public spaces to participate in the documentation of public murals, street art and graffiti are carried out.

Course objectives:
The main learning objective of the course is to link the historical and artistic context of the creation of contemporary works of art, the recognition of the creator’s intention, the values and the preservation of the idea of the artwork, with the conservation decision-making process according to contemporary theory and practice in documentation, diagnosis, decision-making models and conservation/restoration applications.
The course promotes the critical thinking so that students can understand the artwork and its function as an integral part of the historical and social environment, make a diagnosis of pathology with an understanding of the causes of unwanted alterations in order to propose a plan for its prevention and develop an effective proposal for its conservation.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Language of evaluation: Greek (English for Erasmus students).
Students’ evaluation (100%):
• Written Examination (40%)
• Mock-up technical report (15%)
• Documentation report (15%)
• Conservation reports (15%)
• Poster Presentation (15%)
Assessment criteria are reported orally in the face-to-face course and in writing in the course e-class.

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– Related scientific journals:
-Studies in Conservation
-Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter
-Change Over Time