from The New York Times
Magic, Music and Toys That Talk Back
go to article
What a fascinating collection of mechanical musical instruments and automatons! A magician removing his own head while a music box tinkles underneath, a magnificent peacock which shows you real feathers when you wind it up, chickens that lay eggs and moving rabbits and bears...All these are part of the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection that the Morris Museum in New Jersey recently acquired.
Much to my amusement and thought, the author of the article asked:
A collection of this scope and style raises questions about the nature of collecting itself. Who are these collectors, and what causes them to gather material like buttons, Barbies and Beanie Babies? Are they visionaries, engaged in everything from historical search and rescue to the scientific cataloguing of objects, or obsessives and pack rats who use the cachet of collecting to disguise hoarding and greed? Who needs all these music boxes, and what drives someone to buy them?
Later he muses:
The world is riddled with anxieties, and each day brings enough evidence of global horrors and local traumas to darken our dreams and dim our ideals. Some go mad under the pressure, others shut themselves off to avoid it. Still others take an active role in the attempt to transform their world, creating institutions or functioning in public life. But some people - and I suspect that Guinness was among them - deal with it all by creating a perfect imaginary world of order and control, where the collector is a kind of god...
So how do we relate to our collections and what is it that we are relating to at museum exhibitions?
SENI 2004 Festival of Arts
The SENI 2004 Festival of Arts, held in Singapore, is a visual arts festival of contemporary Southeast Asian and Asian art aimed at creating open channels of dialogue between Singapore and international artists.
Its symposium comprise of rousing dialogues that provides much food for thought as Singapore works towards the Singapore Biennale 2006. Some articles from the speakers at the symposium that could be downloaded at the SENI website :
Chaitanya Sambrani: Location and desire: siting the contemporary in Indian art
Desmond Hui: Defining the Contemporary: Public Art and Architecture
John Philips: The Contemporary
Jim Supangkat: Session III: Biennales, Institutions and State
Jose Tence Ruiz: Exchange, Accomodation, other Lubrications
Juliana Yasin: Conditions of Practice: Translocality and Simultaneity
Paul Rae: Deadweights of the Body Politic: Art, Space and the Contemporary
Rajeev S. Patke: Panel on ‘Looking Critically: Perspectives and Prospects’
The SENI 2004 Festival of Arts, held in Singapore, is a visual arts festival of contemporary Southeast Asian and Asian art aimed at creating open channels of dialogue between Singapore and international artists.
Its symposium comprise of rousing dialogues that provides much food for thought as Singapore works towards the Singapore Biennale 2006. Some articles from the speakers at the symposium that could be downloaded at the SENI website :
Chaitanya Sambrani: Location and desire: siting the contemporary in Indian art
Desmond Hui: Defining the Contemporary: Public Art and Architecture
John Philips: The Contemporary
Jim Supangkat: Session III: Biennales, Institutions and State
Jose Tence Ruiz: Exchange, Accomodation, other Lubrications
Juliana Yasin: Conditions of Practice: Translocality and Simultaneity
Paul Rae: Deadweights of the Body Politic: Art, Space and the Contemporary
Rajeev S. Patke: Panel on ‘Looking Critically: Perspectives and Prospects’
from The New York Times
Devastation, Now Salvage, Page by Page
go to article
A sad reminder of how a tiny spark can set off a whole disaster and the importance of good disaster-salvage planning. A fire, set off by a electrical short at the Anna Amalia Library in Weimar, Germany, has caused irreparably damage to about 10 percent of the library's collection of a million books.
"The texts in Weimar were of a special nature in that they had their own history," said Michael Knoche, the library's director since 1991, emphasizing their personal connections with the greats of German literature. "They were used by Goethe, Schiller and Wieland. They wrote on the book covers, or margins." Goethe was himself administrator of the library, which was established in 1691.
At present, the Library is preoccupied with concerns for rebuilding the Baroque library building and the book collection and the restoration of the damaged books. The immediate treatment of the damaged books is being carried out by the Center for Book Conservation in Leipzig and further restoration would depend on possibilities of financial support.
Devastation, Now Salvage, Page by Page
go to article
A sad reminder of how a tiny spark can set off a whole disaster and the importance of good disaster-salvage planning. A fire, set off by a electrical short at the Anna Amalia Library in Weimar, Germany, has caused irreparably damage to about 10 percent of the library's collection of a million books.
"The texts in Weimar were of a special nature in that they had their own history," said Michael Knoche, the library's director since 1991, emphasizing their personal connections with the greats of German literature. "They were used by Goethe, Schiller and Wieland. They wrote on the book covers, or margins." Goethe was himself administrator of the library, which was established in 1691.
At present, the Library is preoccupied with concerns for rebuilding the Baroque library building and the book collection and the restoration of the damaged books. The immediate treatment of the damaged books is being carried out by the Center for Book Conservation in Leipzig and further restoration would depend on possibilities of financial support.
from Radio Singapore International
Touring the Lion-City : Heritage Conservation Centre
go to programme notes - Part 1 and Part 2 (in Chinese)
go to recordings - Part 1 and Part 2 (in Mandarin)
Two short radio programme in Mandarin featuring the work behind the scenes at the Heritage Conservation Centre.
Touring the Lion-City : Heritage Conservation Centre
go to programme notes - Part 1 and Part 2 (in Chinese)
go to recordings - Part 1 and Part 2 (in Mandarin)
Two short radio programme in Mandarin featuring the work behind the scenes at the Heritage Conservation Centre.
from Smithsonian Magazine
Tunnel Visionary
go to article
from New York Foundation for the Arts Quarterly - Fall 2003
go to interview
If one can be allowed to stereotype, then it can only be a New Yorker who is willing to devote a better part of her life to documenting urban ruin and dereliction as heritage. As Julia Solis new book (see a selection of images here) and web-site, Dark Passage, attest, it is both fascinating and mind-boggling to be engaged in this seemingly Herculean project of contemporary urban archaeology.
Julia Solis is also the Founder and Executive Director of Ars Subterranea which seeks to promote a greater understanding and awareness of the historic urban fabric of New York by organising creative projects. Aptly, Ars Subterranea has as its tag-line:"The Society for Creative Preservation". One of the recently completed project is a photographic presentation, entitled The Garden of Crumbling Delights, which is both an effort "to document America's rapidly vanishing ruins" and "a celebration of the beauty inherent in architectural decay" at the same time.
Tunnel Visionary
go to article
from New York Foundation for the Arts Quarterly - Fall 2003
go to interview
If one can be allowed to stereotype, then it can only be a New Yorker who is willing to devote a better part of her life to documenting urban ruin and dereliction as heritage. As Julia Solis new book (see a selection of images here) and web-site, Dark Passage, attest, it is both fascinating and mind-boggling to be engaged in this seemingly Herculean project of contemporary urban archaeology.
Julia Solis is also the Founder and Executive Director of Ars Subterranea which seeks to promote a greater understanding and awareness of the historic urban fabric of New York by organising creative projects. Aptly, Ars Subterranea has as its tag-line:"The Society for Creative Preservation". One of the recently completed project is a photographic presentation, entitled The Garden of Crumbling Delights, which is both an effort "to document America's rapidly vanishing ruins" and "a celebration of the beauty inherent in architectural decay" at the same time.
from Popular Science
The Enlux LED light
go to article
from World Changing weblog
LED Light Bulbs Real Soon Now
go to article
from Detroit Free Press
New light technology promises longer life and lower costs
go to article
The technology of lighting is moving steadily towards the replacement of the incandescent and fluorescence light bulbs that we are familiar with today. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are more energy efficient as the same level of brightness can be achieved using a lower energy level. And they outlasts light bulbs easily by a factor of 10. When LEDs become the de facto light source (in homes and in museums), would we, as conservators, know enough of this technology to have a ready answer as to the (positive or negative) effects that this light would have on materials?
The Enlux LED light
go to article
from World Changing weblog
LED Light Bulbs Real Soon Now
go to article
from Detroit Free Press
New light technology promises longer life and lower costs
go to article
The technology of lighting is moving steadily towards the replacement of the incandescent and fluorescence light bulbs that we are familiar with today. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are more energy efficient as the same level of brightness can be achieved using a lower energy level. And they outlasts light bulbs easily by a factor of 10. When LEDs become the de facto light source (in homes and in museums), would we, as conservators, know enough of this technology to have a ready answer as to the (positive or negative) effects that this light would have on materials?
from The New York Times
Art Fuses With Urbanity in a Redesign of the Modern
go to article
After two and a half years, the MOMA is back with a new look! This article describes in detail how this new museum architecture is a work of art in itself and in the way it embraces the surrounding landscape and past & present traditions. Also interesting is two audio slideshows given by a curator and an architectural critic. The curator, John Elderfield, gave a brief but very interesting account of the process (exhibition design, conservation etc) that has gone into these two and half years to prepare for MOMA's re-opening.
Art Fuses With Urbanity in a Redesign of the Modern
go to article
After two and a half years, the MOMA is back with a new look! This article describes in detail how this new museum architecture is a work of art in itself and in the way it embraces the surrounding landscape and past & present traditions. Also interesting is two audio slideshows given by a curator and an architectural critic. The curator, John Elderfield, gave a brief but very interesting account of the process (exhibition design, conservation etc) that has gone into these two and half years to prepare for MOMA's re-opening.
from BBC News
Restoring Calcutta's crumbling heritage
go to article
This article speaks of conservation efforts towards British buildings in Calcutta, India. There are disagreements about which buildings to conserve, to what extent it should be conserved among the various conservation groups. The term "Cultural Colonism" has even been thrown out which brings to mind that sometimes architectural and/or historical significance of artefacts big or small, portable or non-portable can be pretty subjective.
More information about the issues of building conservation can be found in a earlier post.
Restoring Calcutta's crumbling heritage
go to article
This article speaks of conservation efforts towards British buildings in Calcutta, India. There are disagreements about which buildings to conserve, to what extent it should be conserved among the various conservation groups. The term "Cultural Colonism" has even been thrown out which brings to mind that sometimes architectural and/or historical significance of artefacts big or small, portable or non-portable can be pretty subjective.
More information about the issues of building conservation can be found in a earlier post.
from New York Times
Even Digital Memories Can Fade
go to article
Yet another update from the digital preservation front. Sometimes the alarmist tone of how unprepared we all are in terms of saving our digital resources for the next generation can mask other interests. Note, for example, near the start of the New York Times article, that the person who said: "To save a digital file for, let's say, a hundred years is going to take a lot of work" is actually the president of a consulting firm which deals with (digital) media management - surely it would not be in his interests to say that digital archiving is easy. For another argument on why digital media will not be that easily "lost" if stored in the most commonly used digital format, see this older article by Simon Garfinkel, "The Myth of Doomed Data ".
Even Digital Memories Can Fade
go to article
Yet another update from the digital preservation front. Sometimes the alarmist tone of how unprepared we all are in terms of saving our digital resources for the next generation can mask other interests. Note, for example, near the start of the New York Times article, that the person who said: "To save a digital file for, let's say, a hundred years is going to take a lot of work" is actually the president of a consulting firm which deals with (digital) media management - surely it would not be in his interests to say that digital archiving is easy. For another argument on why digital media will not be that easily "lost" if stored in the most commonly used digital format, see this older article by Simon Garfinkel, "The Myth of Doomed Data ".
from The Times
Don't sell our lost treasure on eBay, begs museum
go to article
from The New York Times
Museum Asks EBay to Block Some Sales
go to article
and
from The Sunday Times
Forbidden City's tacky shops sent packing
go to article (PDF format)
When commercial interests override heritage preservation concerns, it can only be an indication of a larger underlying callousness for heritage as a collective social good. Cultural heritage is seen to be worthy of effort because of its financial returns. That indeed would be the low point of human civilisation!
Don't sell our lost treasure on eBay, begs museum
go to article
from The New York Times
Museum Asks EBay to Block Some Sales
go to article
and
from The Sunday Times
Forbidden City's tacky shops sent packing
go to article (PDF format)
When commercial interests override heritage preservation concerns, it can only be an indication of a larger underlying callousness for heritage as a collective social good. Cultural heritage is seen to be worthy of effort because of its financial returns. That indeed would be the low point of human civilisation!
from The Guardian
Time to turn back tourist tide in Valley of the Kings
go to article
from BBC News
African rock art under threat
go to article
Another 2 reasons why "Humans" should be classed as a top factor of deterioration of cultural heritage - if not the top factor of deterioration.
Time to turn back tourist tide in Valley of the Kings
go to article
from BBC News
African rock art under threat
go to article
Another 2 reasons why "Humans" should be classed as a top factor of deterioration of cultural heritage - if not the top factor of deterioration.
from Wired Magazine
Atomic Detective
go to article
An interesting hand-held device which uses X-Ray Fluoroscopy (XRF) to detect and differentiate the presence of metal elements. This will come in handy for the identification of metal sculptures and may even be possible to gauge the type and ratio of alloy metals present. There is more on how the technique of XRF works on the manufacturer's web-site.
Atomic Detective
go to article
An interesting hand-held device which uses X-Ray Fluoroscopy (XRF) to detect and differentiate the presence of metal elements. This will come in handy for the identification of metal sculptures and may even be possible to gauge the type and ratio of alloy metals present. There is more on how the technique of XRF works on the manufacturer's web-site.
from The New York Times
The End of 1960's Architecture
go to article
from Pixel Points
What's (No Longer) New
go to weblog post
A couple of (unintended) rejoinder to the earlier announcement by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore) that more recent architectural structures will now be under consideration for conservation.
In the New York Times article, the difficult and often thankless task of deciding which building to preserved is clearly laid out. Two points that are worth reiterating. One, is that the approach to preserving buildings differ significantly from that of preserving portable artefacts. This is due to the obvious fact that buildings cannot be stored and must always remain functional even when earmarked for preservation. This leads to the second point, which is that buildings that are well-maintained and in good condition would stand a better chance of being considered for preservation, even over-riding considerations for the architectural significance of the building itself.
Another significant factor in the selection of buildings to be preserved is mentioned in the weblog post:
Mention is made of 2 organisations closely affiliated with architectural preservation - Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement (DoCoMoMo), which has a more international outlook with country and regional chapters; The Recent Past Preservation Network with a primary focus on the American context.
Browsing the DoCoMoMo web-site, there is an article on Singapore and the trend of building styles, very much dictated by public building works then (go to article - PDF format).
The End of 1960's Architecture
go to article
from Pixel Points
What's (No Longer) New
go to weblog post
A couple of (unintended) rejoinder to the earlier announcement by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore) that more recent architectural structures will now be under consideration for conservation.
In the New York Times article, the difficult and often thankless task of deciding which building to preserved is clearly laid out. Two points that are worth reiterating. One, is that the approach to preserving buildings differ significantly from that of preserving portable artefacts. This is due to the obvious fact that buildings cannot be stored and must always remain functional even when earmarked for preservation. This leads to the second point, which is that buildings that are well-maintained and in good condition would stand a better chance of being considered for preservation, even over-riding considerations for the architectural significance of the building itself.
Another significant factor in the selection of buildings to be preserved is mentioned in the weblog post:
"The successful preservation of an aging building usually depends upon the building attracting some sort of constituency, some sizable cohort of citizens who'd miss the place if it were gone and who are willing to lobby for its survival."Instead of some high ideals of architectural principle as a selection criteria.
Mention is made of 2 organisations closely affiliated with architectural preservation - Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement (DoCoMoMo), which has a more international outlook with country and regional chapters; The Recent Past Preservation Network with a primary focus on the American context.
Browsing the DoCoMoMo web-site, there is an article on Singapore and the trend of building styles, very much dictated by public building works then (go to article - PDF format).
from PC World
Could Your CD Contain Corn?
go to article
from Yahoo! News
Eco-friendly disc to store data on corn
go to article
First there was the paper DVD, now there is the corn disc - coming in the CD version, as well as the more advance Blu-Ray DVD version. What might pass off as novelty news items, should also point to an urgent need for digital preservation efforts to keep up with the larger technological strides made in the research and manufacture of digital storage devices and media.
Could Your CD Contain Corn?
go to article
from Yahoo! News
Eco-friendly disc to store data on corn
go to article
First there was the paper DVD, now there is the corn disc - coming in the CD version, as well as the more advance Blu-Ray DVD version. What might pass off as novelty news items, should also point to an urgent need for digital preservation efforts to keep up with the larger technological strides made in the research and manufacture of digital storage devices and media.
from BBC Radio 4 Material World
Art Fraud
go to programme outline
listen to programme (needs RealPlayer)
The first 15 minutes of the latest BBC Radio 4 science programme Material World highlights the investigative work done to detect art forgeries. The use of Raman Spectrometry was mentioned as a precise method to detect specific chemical composition (or "fingerprint") of different pigments. Combining that information with historical information on the use and manufacture of pigments, fakes could be determined with greater confidence then in the days of just relying on art connoisseurship.
Art Fraud
go to programme outline
listen to programme (needs RealPlayer)
The first 15 minutes of the latest BBC Radio 4 science programme Material World highlights the investigative work done to detect art forgeries. The use of Raman Spectrometry was mentioned as a precise method to detect specific chemical composition (or "fingerprint") of different pigments. Combining that information with historical information on the use and manufacture of pigments, fakes could be determined with greater confidence then in the days of just relying on art connoisseurship.
from The Australian
British library starts email archive
go to article
from Thirteen/WNET New York
New Public Television Partnership Receives Major Program Preservation Award from the Library of Congress
go to news release
It is always encouraging to learn of the launch of digital preservation projects, this time on either side of the Atlantic, pointing to an increasing awareness of such a need in our present-day technology-driven culture. Much of the effort in this area is presently led by government organisations, which is indicative of the resource-intensive nature of archiving the tremendous amount of digital content out there. However, the undoing of such digital preservation efforts might well be the other increasing trend of litigation based on a fallacious interpretation of the notion of "copyright". A good starting point in understanding this debate (from an American persepctive) would be Peter Hirtle's "Digital Preservation and Copyright".
British library starts email archive
go to article
from Thirteen/WNET New York
New Public Television Partnership Receives Major Program Preservation Award from the Library of Congress
go to news release
It is always encouraging to learn of the launch of digital preservation projects, this time on either side of the Atlantic, pointing to an increasing awareness of such a need in our present-day technology-driven culture. Much of the effort in this area is presently led by government organisations, which is indicative of the resource-intensive nature of archiving the tremendous amount of digital content out there. However, the undoing of such digital preservation efforts might well be the other increasing trend of litigation based on a fallacious interpretation of the notion of "copyright". A good starting point in understanding this debate (from an American persepctive) would be Peter Hirtle's "Digital Preservation and Copyright".
from Wired News
Preserving Art by Zapping Bugs
go to article
Using advances in DNA analysis and biotechnology, biochemists in Venezuela have managed to customise target toxins to get rid of specific pest species without harming the original heritage material. And pests are a constant problem in the tropical climate of Venezuela, much like Singapore.
Preserving Art by Zapping Bugs
go to article
Using advances in DNA analysis and biotechnology, biochemists in Venezuela have managed to customise target toxins to get rid of specific pest species without harming the original heritage material. And pests are a constant problem in the tropical climate of Venezuela, much like Singapore.
Something about blue...
Just want to share a wee juicy bit of information from Victoria Finlay's book "Colour" about the Ultramarine blue pigment which is derived from the semi-precious stone Lapis Lazuli.
"Lapis Lazuli is a complex clump of minerals, including hauyne, sodalite, nosean and lazurite. In the best grades there is more sulphur, the yellow element curiously making the stone more violet, and in the worst grades there is more calcium carbonate, turning it grey.
Ultramarine blue used to be a very expensive blue pigment in Europe. During the Italian Renaissance, it was touted as the only blue good enough to paint the Virgin Mary's robe. This pigment originate from Chile, Zambia, Siberia and Afghanistan. The synthetic version of it was found in France by a chemist in 1828, henceforth the name "French ultramarine".
Finlay in her book found out from her Afghanistan guide that there are three main colours for grade one lapis lazuli.
"The most common is rang-i-ob which simply means 'colour of water' and is a general word for blue. This stone is the darkest, the shade that sea goes when there is nothing but deep sea beneath it...The second is rang-i-sabz or green...they looked as if shreds of bright lettuce had got caught in the teeth of the blue...But the greatest of the three is the extraordinarily named surpar or 'red feather'. It was puzzling and beautiful that the best blue should be described as red. It was an ex-miner who gave the most poetic explanation. 'It is the colour of the deepest moment of the fire..the very heart of the flame.'
The history of colours is a beautiful story that excites the mind and fires up the imagination. I wonder whether I'll approach my paintbox the same way again after reading these 'stories'...
Just want to share a wee juicy bit of information from Victoria Finlay's book "Colour" about the Ultramarine blue pigment which is derived from the semi-precious stone Lapis Lazuli.
"Lapis Lazuli is a complex clump of minerals, including hauyne, sodalite, nosean and lazurite. In the best grades there is more sulphur, the yellow element curiously making the stone more violet, and in the worst grades there is more calcium carbonate, turning it grey.
Ultramarine blue used to be a very expensive blue pigment in Europe. During the Italian Renaissance, it was touted as the only blue good enough to paint the Virgin Mary's robe. This pigment originate from Chile, Zambia, Siberia and Afghanistan. The synthetic version of it was found in France by a chemist in 1828, henceforth the name "French ultramarine".
Finlay in her book found out from her Afghanistan guide that there are three main colours for grade one lapis lazuli.
"The most common is rang-i-ob which simply means 'colour of water' and is a general word for blue. This stone is the darkest, the shade that sea goes when there is nothing but deep sea beneath it...The second is rang-i-sabz or green...they looked as if shreds of bright lettuce had got caught in the teeth of the blue...But the greatest of the three is the extraordinarily named surpar or 'red feather'. It was puzzling and beautiful that the best blue should be described as red. It was an ex-miner who gave the most poetic explanation. 'It is the colour of the deepest moment of the fire..the very heart of the flame.'
The history of colours is a beautiful story that excites the mind and fires up the imagination. I wonder whether I'll approach my paintbox the same way again after reading these 'stories'...
from The Straits Times
Parts of Changi Prison 'exported'
go to article (PDF format)
Introducing a "new concept" in the preservation of monuments - the distributed site, with original components disbursed across the oceans and seas. To say that it is indeed a strange concept would be understating the case, obviously. It makes one wonder what exactly had been promised and agreed away from public eyes. Or perhaps the historical significance of Changi Prison is not considered "Singaporean" enough to remain intact here?
Parts of Changi Prison 'exported'
go to article (PDF format)
Introducing a "new concept" in the preservation of monuments - the distributed site, with original components disbursed across the oceans and seas. To say that it is indeed a strange concept would be understating the case, obviously. It makes one wonder what exactly had been promised and agreed away from public eyes. Or perhaps the historical significance of Changi Prison is not considered "Singaporean" enough to remain intact here?
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