Short answer
When designing for the preservation of ephemeral art forms, consider the documentation and conservation processes not as passive recording, but as active agents in the artwork's continued existence and interpretation.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (2018)
- Method
- Qualitative research, Case study, Epistemological analysis
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Conservation of performance art requires a shift from solely focusing on material preservation to understanding the co-constitutive relationship between material practices and discursive documentation. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT). Using Qualitative research, case study, epistemological analysis, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for the preservation of ephemeral art forms, consider the documentation and conservation processes not as passive recording, but as active agents in the artwork's continued existence and interpretation.
Performance Art Conservation: Bridging the Tangible-Discursive Gap
Conservation of performance art requires a shift from solely focusing on material preservation to understanding the co-constitutive relationship between material practices and discursive documentation.
Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · 2018
Key Findings
- 01Conservation of performance art is not solely about preserving physical objects but involves material-discursive practices that actively shape the artwork's materiality.
- 02Cultural heritage, including performance art, exists in various material forms that are recursively disseminated through memorialization practices.
- 03The act of knowing (documentation, conservation) is intrinsically linked to material and discursive entanglements with the agents involved.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing for the preservation of ephemeral art forms, consider the documentation and conservation processes not as passive recording, but as active agents in the artwork's continued existence and interpretation.
How to apply
When developing archival systems or conservation guidelines for performance art, ensure that the methodology accounts for the performative and relational aspects of the artwork, rather than treating it as a static object.
Project actions
- 01Consider how your design process for a project inherently shapes the final outcome.
- 02Explore how documentation methods can be integral to the design itself, not just a record of it.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Introduces a novel theoretical framework (agential realism) for understanding performance art conservation.
- +Provides concrete examples through the documentation of two specific artworks.
Limitations
The study focuses on specific Portuguese performance art from the 1970s, and its findings may not directly translate to all forms of performance art or other ephemeral media.
Reliability & validity
The validity of the findings relies heavily on the epistemological framework of agential realism and the interpretation of the case studies. Reliability would be challenging to establish in a traditional sense due to the subjective and interpretive nature of art conservation and documentation.
Think critically
To what extent can the 'materialization' of performance art through conservation and documentation be considered a form of artistic reinterpretation or even creation?
Design Principles
"Embrace the co-constitutive relationship between artifact and its preservation/documentation practices."
As performance art increasingly enters institutional collections, designers and researchers face the challenge of preserving ephemeral works. This research suggests that effective conservation strategies must acknowledge that the artwork's 'intangibility' is actively shaped by the very acts of documentation and preservation, making these processes integral to the artwork's existence over time.
What This Means for Your Design
To save performance art, we need to think about how we write about it and photograph it, because those actions actually help create the art over time, not just record it.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify a design approach that emphasizes the iterative and co-creative nature of design documentation and preservation.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights that the conservation of performance art necessitates a departure from traditional object-based preservation. By adopting a relational ontology, conservation practices are understood as material-discursive engagements that actively materialize and disseminate the artwork over time. This perspective is crucial for design projects aiming to preserve or document ephemeral creations, as it underscores that the design of documentation and preservation methods is not merely a record but an integral part of the artwork's ongoing existence and interpretation.
Source
Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT)
From intangibility to materiality and back again: preserving Portuguese performance artworks from the 1970s
journal · 2018
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about performance art conservation: bridging the tangible-discursive gap?
- When designing for the preservation of ephemeral art forms, consider the documentation and conservation processes not as passive recording, but as active agents in the artwork's continued existence and interpretation. Evidence: Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (2018).
- Why does "Performance Art Conservation: Bridging the Tangible-Discursive Gap" matter for design?
- As performance art increasingly enters institutional collections, designers and researchers face the challenge of preserving ephemeral works. This research suggests that effective conservation strategies must acknowledge that the artwork's 'intangibility' is actively shaped by the very acts of documentation and preservation, making these processes integral to the artwork's existence over time.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing for the preservation of ephemeral art forms, consider the documentation and conservation processes not as passive recording, but as active agents in the artwork's continued existence and interpretation.
- What were the main findings?
- Conservation of performance art is not solely about preserving physical objects but involves material-discursive practices that actively shape the artwork's materiality.. Cultural heritage, including performance art, exists in various material forms that are recursively disseminated through memorialization practices.. The act of knowing (documentation, conservation) is intrinsically linked to material and discursive entanglements with the agents involved.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative research, Case study, Epistemological analysis.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2018 journal from Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing archival systems or conservation guidelines for performance art, ensure that the methodology accounts for the performative and relational aspects of the artwork, rather than treating it as a static object.
- What are the limitations?
- The research acknowledges that managing the artwork's networks in institutional contexts was beyond the scope of this specific project.