Museum Authorship and the Conservation of Media Installations: Two Case Studies from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

ABSTRACT

In 2017 and 2018 the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) engaged in long-term conservation projects for two of its most iconic artworks, For SAAM (2007) by Jenny Holzer (b. 1950) and Megatron/Matrix (1995) by Nam June Paik (1932–2006). In both works, underlying technologies were replaced due to failure and obsolescence. Contemporary art conservators have developed methods and ethics for evaluating these fraught decisions. Stakeholders designate work-defining properties to establish an artwork’s identity, and assess treatments and exhibitions based on whether these properties persist. However, an artwork’s identity always has a degree of fluidity and contingency. The culture of the collecting institution and the opinions of those involved influence treatment decisions and the resulting evolution of the artwork and its identity. This paper presents case studies that highlight the creative and authorial roles museum staff play in conserving and exhibiting iterative artworks. Conservators are becoming more comfortable acknowledging the subjective and authorial decisions they make when managing change in artworks. Effective documentation acknowledges these roles and in so doing leaves the door open for future practitioners to reinforce previous decisions or reevaluate them and follow alternative paths.

RÉSUMÉ

En 2017 et 2018, le Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) a entrepris des projets de conservation à long terme pour deux de ses œuvres les plus emblématiques, For SAAM (2007) de Jenny Holzer (née en 1950) et Megatron/Matrix (1995) de Nam June Paik (1932–2006). Dans ces deux œuvres, les technologies sous-jacentes ont été remplacées à cause de pannes et de l'obsolescence. Les restaurateurs d'art contemporain ont développé des méthodes et une déontologie pour évaluer ces décisions difficiles. Les parties prenantes désignent des propriétés déterminantes pour établir l'identité d'une œuvre, et évaluent les traitements et les expositions en se basant sur la persistance de ces propriétés. Cependant, l'identité d'une œuvre a toujours un certain degré de fluidité et de contingence. La culture des institutions qui collectionnent et les opinions des personnes impliquées influencent les décisions concernant les traitements ainsi que l'évolution de l'œuvre et de son identité qui en découle. Cet article présente des études de cas qui mettent en lumière les rôles créatifs et d'auteur que les équipes de musée jouent dans la conservation et l'exposition d'œuvres itératives. Les restaurateurs reconnaissent de mieux en mieux l'importance des décisions subjectives et d'auteur qu'ils prennent lors de la gestion de changements sur des œuvres. Une documentation efficace confirme ces rôles et, ce faisant, laisse la porte ouverte au renforcement des décisions préexistantes ou à leur réévaluation et au suivi de chemins alternatifs par de futurs praticiens. Traduit par Elsa Thyss.

RESUMO

Os anos de 2017 e 2018 viram o Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) se envolver em projetos de conservação de longo prazo para duas de suas obras mais icônicas, For SAAM (2007) de Jenny Holzer (b.1950) e Megatron/Matrix (1995) por Nam June Paik (1932–2006). Em ambos os trabalhos, as tecnologias subjacentes foram substituídas devido à falha e à obsolescência. Os conservadores da arte contemporânea desenvolveram métodos e ética para avaliar essas decisões difíceis. As partes interessadas designam propriedades que definem o trabalho para estabelecer a identidade de uma obra de arte e avaliam tratamentos e exposições com base na persistência dessas propriedades. No entanto, a identidade de uma obra de arte sempre tem um grau de fluidez e contingência. A cultura da instituição coletora e as opiniões dos envolvidos influenciam as decisões de tratamento e a consequente evolução da obra de arte e sua identidade. Este artigo apresenta estudos de casos que destacam os papéis criativos e autorais que os funcionários do museu desempenham na conservação e exposição de obras iterativas. Os conservadores estão se tornando mais confortáveis reconhecendo as decisões subjetivas e autorais que tomam ao gerenciar a mudança nas obras de arte. A documentação eficaz reconhece essas funções e, ao fazê-lo, deixa a porta aberta para futuros profissionais reforçarem decisões anteriores ou reavaliá-las e seguir caminhos alternativos. Traduzido por Beatriz Haspo.

RESUMEN

En 2017 y 2018, el Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) participó en proyectos de conservación a largo plazo para dos de sus obras de arte más emblemáticas, For SAAM (2007) de Jenny Holzer (n. 1950) y Megatron / Matrix (1995) de Nam June Paik (1932–2006). En ambas obras, las tecnologías subyacentes fueron reemplazadas por fallas y obsolescencia. Los conservadores de arte contemporáneo han desarrollado métodos y pautas éticas para evaluar estas difíciles decisiones. Las partes interesadas designan propiedades que definen el trabajo para establecer la identidad de una obra de arte y evalúan los tratamientos y exposiciones en función de si estas propiedades persisten. Sin embargo, la identidad de una obra de arte siempre tiene un grado de fluidez y contingencia. La cultura de la institución colectora y las opiniones de los involucrados influyen en las decisiones de tratamiento y la evolución resultante de la obra de arte y su identidad. Este artículo presenta estudios de caso que destacan los roles creativos y de autor que desempeña el personal del museo en la conservación y exhibición de obras de arte y su identidad. Los conservadores se están sintiendo más cómodos ahora reconociendo las decisiones subjetivas y autorales que toman al gestionar el cambio en las obras de arte. La documentación eficaz reconoce estos roles y al hacerlo deja la puerta abierta para que los futuros profesionales refuercen decisiones anteriores o las reevalúen y sigan caminos alternativos. Traducción: Amparo Rueda.

KEYWORDS:

• Jenny Holzer
• Nam June Paik
• time-based media art
• installation art

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Acknowledgements

Very special acknowledgments are due to many people who helped with these conservation projects, the author’s understanding of these artworks, and with this article, including Jenny Holzer, Amy Silver, Collin LaFleche, Eric Rosenthal, and Ian Costello at Holzer Studio. Will Pickering, Mohammad Asgari, Aza Sahakian, and Ian DaRin at Parallel Development. Jon Huffman, John Hanhardt, Mr. Jung Sung Lee AKA ArtMaster, and Ken Hakuta. Bill Tompkins, Amelia Kile, and the National Collections Program. Michael Mansfield, Harvey Sandler, Adam Rice, Hugh Shockey, Susan Edwards, Lynn Putney, Emily Schlemmer, Luke Moses, Tamara Dissi, Amber Kerr, Shu-Wen Lin, Ariel O’Connor, Helen Ingalls, and Saisha Grayson, presently and formerly at SAAM. Martha Singer and Delia Müller-Wüsten. Julia Kim.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dan Finn

Dan Finn is the Media Conservator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where he built the museum’s Media Conservation Lab and has refined conservation practices for time-based media art collections. He is also the chair of the Smithsonian Institution’s Time-based Media Art Working Group. Previously, he helped establish the Media Archive of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and worked in media preservation at Democracy Now!, the City University of New York Television Station, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He holds an MA from New York University’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program. Address: Smithsonian American Art Museum, MRC 970 Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012. Email: [email protected].