from The New York Times -
Tile by Tile, a Mural Is Saved
go to article

A paint-staking project in relocating a ceramic tile wall mural, prompting the insight:

"Anything artistic that goes in a subway should be put on some type of removable support."

A lesson in there somewhere for all urban transport authorities?
.

from The New York Times -
A Rebel Form Gains Favor. Fights Ensue.
go to article

It is indeed an ironic twist that performance art - the art form which resists commercialism by being stubbornly rendered as not collectible - is now facing questions about its core value as some artists insists on reperformance, sometimes using the guise of preservation to deflect criticism.
.

from Getty Conservation Institute -
Art as Evidence:The Scientific Investigation of Works of Art
go to web-page and video

A good overview of issues and possibilities with current technological advances in the examination of artworks. Even as technology surpass our understanding, the primary question remains: "For what ends?"
.

from The Guardian -
How the National Trust is finding its mojo
go to article

"The perennial battle inside the trust has always been that between conservation and access, preservation and enjoyment. 'But really, it needn't be,' insists [Mark] Harold [, regional director at National Trust]. 'Not every room in every built property has precious textiles. We own lots of land; not all of it is equally sensitive.'"

Possibly a lesson for museums - not to operate solely on the basis of preempting damage as if all artefacts are masterpieces but to recognise that all preservation decisions are inherently biased. The point is to be open about what values guide those decisions - for better or for worse.
.