Two-day conference on kinetic art and its preservation

The Getty Conservation Institute, the Museo del Novecento and the Modern Materials and Contemporary Art (MMCA) working group of ICOM-CC, in partnership with INCCA are pleased to announce the conference Keep it Moving? Conserving kinetic art. Hosted at the Palazzo Reale by Museo Del Novecento, Milan, Italy.
This two-day conference will look back at the history of kinetic art and its preservation, take into consideration the artists’ point of view, and discuss the ethical dilemma and practical challenges of conserving and documenting kinetic works. It will include invited keynotes and paper submissions. The conference will serve as the interim meeting of MMCA and is also organized in partnership with the Museo del Novecento, the Getty Conservation Institute, and INCCA. It will take place at the Palazzo Reale in conjunction with the general ICOM CC meeting. A visit of the rich collection of kinetic works in the Museo del Novecento will be included; other cultural tours will also be offered.
Kinetic art is art that not only includes movement but often depends on it to produce the desired effect and fully realize its nature as work of art. Kinetic art emerged throughout the 20th century, and had its major developments in the 1950s and 60s. In addition, in the 1960s, a branch of op art or optical art, i.e. abstract art based on optical illusion, also started to incorporate actual movement. Kinetic works of art include a wide range of motion, from motorized and electrically driven movement to motion as the result of wind, light, or other sources of energy. Much thought is currently given in the field of contemporary art conservation to re-thinking the concept of authenticity and to solving the dichotomy often felt between original materials and functionality of the work of art. The dichotomy is especially acute with kinetic art where a compromise between the two seems impossible: when engine parts stop working, when light bulbs go out, the work will stop functioning if replacement is not performed. Issues of technological obsolescence, as well as the strong sociological and historical information or meanings often embedded in a given technology and its use by an artist, further complicate matters.
The Gabo Trust will be providing travel grants for attendees. For more information see their website: http://www.gabotrust.org/blog
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Cécile Dazord (2 juin 2016). ICOM-CC, INCCA, GCI, Museo ‘900, Keep it moving ? Conserving kinetic art, Milan 30 juin – 2 juillet 2016. Techniques mixte (TM). Consulté le 28 avril 2025 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/uow0