artemak+X Techniques and materials of modern and contemporary art.

>>> Website: artemak.art

The spectrum of material use in the field of fine arts has expanded in fascinating ways, especially since the mid-20th century. While materials used in classical art production were mostly used for imitation purposes, materials and techniques in contemporary art often occupy an immanent place of importance as independent carriers of meaning. Their care and maintenance require special approaches, ideally with the direct involvement of the artists.
The group of young researchers that is funded by the Europäische Strukturfonds (ESF - European Structural Funds) and the European Union (three doctoral projects and one PostDoc position) at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden will focus particularly on works of art that pose virtually unsolvable preservation problems for restorers. The cooperation partners include museums, collections and galleries, especially in Saxony. Interdisciplinary collaboration between the areas of restoration and natural sciences should provide a deeper understanding of the material side of artistic objects in order to ensure preservation of objects by using specific preservation strategies.
They should also help in continuing and supplementing the “Archiv für Techniken und Arbeitsmaterialien zeitgenössischer Künstler” (artemak) founded by Erich Gantzert-Castrillo. The artemak.art web platform provides an online archive with artist interviews, restoration studies and background information about artist interviews.