Is There More To Conservation? Diana Tay
Conservators concern themselves with the posterity of objects and how they can stand the test of time. Often found tucked behind the scenes of the museums, these professionals in white lab coats appear to be mysterious gatekeepers who have a say on whether a painting can be displayed or not. How do they determine the ideal conditions or the fate of whether something meant to endure for generations gets displayed? What is the opportunity cost of saying no? What is ideal? This question came as part of a reflexive process when I was told my approaches were too institutionalised. This confrontational and challenging question was hard to understand but was, in fact, a pivotal moment in my practice. I started my conservation career in 2009 at the Heritage Conservation Centre as an assistant paintings conservator. Eight years later, I left the institution to undertake my doctoral research, where I worked towards building a material understanding of Singaporean paintings. Working out of the institution allowed me to reflect on what conservation meant to the local art ecosystem (artists, academics, collectors, curators and more) and to draw an understanding of the current knowledge gaps.
What is conservation? The conservation profession comes with a lot of privileges – to be up close and personal with masterpieces, to be able to touch the impasto ridges, to mend tears and clean away decades of dust off paintings. However, this day-to-day privilege often goes unexamined. It comes with a heavy responsibility as our actions could alter how the present and future generations perceive cultural heritage.
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