Part 3. Collections/Artists’ Oeuvres

In 2012 Greek artist Takis (b. 1925) became the focus of a collaborative project between the curatorial and conservation departments of the Menil Collection. Takis uses magnets and electrical components to create static and kinetic three-dimensional art that explores the energies of an invisible fourth dimension. The project addressed the challenges and complexities that often arise when working with a living artist, including balancing the artist’s preferences with the ethics and standards of traditional conservation practice. The ability to achieve that balance resulted in the first survey exhibition of the artist’s work in the United States.

Aleksandar Srnec was a renowned member of the international New Tendencies movement (1961–73), and he created the first light-in-movement object in Croatian art (1967). Srnec’s luminokinetic objects, Luminoplastics, are a highlight of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU) in Zagreb, Croatia. Luminoplastics are activated by electric motors from sewing machines, and the combination of materials and “amateur” construction achieve a dynamic of movement and color. The first Luminoplastic features, along with sound and movement, a slide projection, which raises additional conservation issues. This paper presents the conservation strategy adopted for Luminoplastic 1, which included interdisciplinary research and individual decisions regarding the various components and materials that compose this exceptional work of art.

Works by Latin American artists Abraham Palatnik, Horacio García Rossi, Gyula Kosice, Gregorio Vardanega, Martha Boto, and Julio Le Parc were conserved prior to an exhibition in 2015 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). We examined the authenticity of the current mechanisms, and in some cases replaced components. Where possible through research, we identified aspects of their original operating processes such as the speed, color, and configuration of elements. We also considered how these works can be maintained in the future without compromising the artists’ intentions.

This paper focuses on seminal case studies in the conservation and display of kinetic art from the European Neo-Avant-Garde, examined from the interdependent points of view of the authors: curator and conservator. Francesca Pola is an independent art historian and curator who has a special focus on conservation in her display concepts, while Barbara Ferriani is a conservator who pays particular attention to display in her practice of conservation. The case studies presented below resulted from the authors’ direct and sometimes shared experience and from their discussion of issues in their intertwined strategies and practices.

Through four case studies of works by Italian artists, we address the issues raised by kinetic objects, installations, and environments in relation to both conservation and display. The focus of this paper is not on technology producing movement but rather on the viewer’s interaction with these immersive devices, such as behaviors induced by the combination of these two elements. We explore action-based pieces and systems created by exponents, particularly Italian, of the European Neo-Avant-Garde, who used very simple technology.

Swiss artist Jean Tinguely (1925–1991) was a member of the New Realists and the ZERO movement, and he is known for his kinetic sculptures and reliefs. His association with the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam began with two exhibitions, Bewogen Beweging (Moving movement) in 1961 and Dylaby in 1962, and lasted until his death. The thirteen three-dimensional Tinguely artworks in the collection are being examined and, if possible, will be treated under the multidisciplinary Tinguely Conservation Project. This paper discusses the main focus and structure of the project and highlights some important issues and dilemmas within it.