Period

started in 2006. Expected date of completation: 2012

Abstract

Contemporary artists working with foodstuffs challenges the decision making on conservation. On the one hand, the degradation may form a substantial part of the work of art but, on the other hand, it could interfere considerably with the reading thereof. For contemporary art with foodstuffs the choice of materials and the way in which they are used has mostly important implications in how these pieces must be interpreted, exhibited and how they will change in time and therefore how they are best preserved, or not.

This research is an interdisciplinary research between art science and food science that aims to resolve any questions relating the conservation of artworks that contains foodstuffs.  The main goal is to analyze these questions systematically on a scientific and academic multidisciplinary basis, taking into account the temporal, ephemeral character on the one side and the material preservation on the other side and to explore whether and how these artworks can be presented and preserved for future generations.

Julie Gilman (1976) obtained her Master’s degree in Art Sciences and Archeology at Ghent University (Belgium) in 1999. She also obtained her Postgraduate degree in Conservation of Contemporary Art(University College Ghent – Museum of Contemporary Art Ghent - University Ghent) in 2001. After graduation she worked as coordinator of this Postgraduate Program. She is currently working as an Academic assistant at University College Ghent. Her PhD research is a joint venture of the ‘Royal Academy of Fine Arts dept.’ (University College Ghent), the ‘Art, Music and Theatre Sciences dept.’ and  the ‘Food Safety and Food Quality dept.’ (Ghent University).  Her research includes implementation of scientific conservation methods in food industry into the conservation of contemporary artworks with foodstuffs, taking into account conservation issues in contemporary art decision making. The aim of this project is to develop theoretical framework that contribute to a good practice in the care for ephemeral artworks with foodstuffs.