Finding the Emerald City: Contemporary Art Conservation in Private Collections - PhD Defence Artemis Rüstau

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Renée van de Vall and Dr. Vivian van Saaze.

Aula in Minderbroedersberg 4-6, 6211 LK Maastricht. The defence will be followed by a reception in the same location. The ceremony will be online. Click here for the live stream.

This research investigates how contemporary art conservation is practised in private collections. Private collections have become increasingly important in the contemporary art world. Yet the notion of private collector is not solely linked to a philanthropic individual dedicating his (seldom her) time and money to the flourishing of the arts. At the same time, it has become clear in public collections that the conservation of contemporary art comes with new challenges. As of yet, however, very little is known about how contemporary art conservation is dealt with in private collections. This study was performed to address this concern. It explores various interrelated questions. How and when does conservation of contemporary art take place in private collections? What kinds of evaluation guide conservation practices in such collections? Are there any differences in this respect in the approach taken by public museums? How do shifts in ownership and accessibility influence conservation practices in private collections? And how do private collections contribute to addressing challenges in contemporary art conservation? 

The research was undertaken within the context of a Marie Curie Innovative Training Network New Approaches to Conservation of Contemporary Art (NACCA). NACCA was designed as an international and interdisciplinary project, in which academics and professionals from different disciplines worked together. It addressed the challenges the conservation of contemporary art poses and aimed to foster a rethinking, to re-organise institutional ecosystems and to establish new frameworks.