The Art of Revealing: Restoration
Restoring works of contemporary art is a delicate task, requiring specialized expertise and a deep understanding of each creation. Unlike traditional artworks, contemporary art often incorporates unconventional materials and evolving technologies, making conservation particularly complex.
To ensure the longevity of these works, it is essential to establish precise protocols in collaboration with artists and galleries, in order to respect the original intention while adapting to the constraints of time. Each intervention is based on in-depth knowledge of how the works should behave and relys on rigorous documentation. Understanding how a material ages, anticipating the obsolescence of a technology, and finding solutions to preserve the appearance and meaning of a work are all challenges the MAC’s restoration department must face. Whether in the exhibition room or in storage, precise conservation conditions are established to limit deterioration and ensure the best possible presentation.
Restoration is a major undertaking, requiring time, expertise, and resources. With your support, we can preserve contemporary artworks and bring them to life.
Restoring to preserve artistic intent
Le Terrain du dictionnaire A/Z, created in 1980 by Rober Racine, perfectly illustrates the challenges of restoration with contemporary art. Comprising of 55,000 words excerpted from Le Petit Robert dictionary, fixed on cardboard labels and arranged in alphabetical order on polystyrene panels, this work requires a rigorous classification that reflects the artist’s obsessive and poetic approach.
Over time, a number of factors affected the work: the yellowing of the adhesive tapes, the deterioration of the cardboard supports and, above all, the displacement of numerous labels, compromising the alphabetical order essential to its reading. This situation led the MAC to entrust its restoration to the Centre de conservation du Québec, in order to stabilize the work and enable its future exhibition.
Discover a restoration
Le Terrain du dictionnaire A/Z
Rober RacineIn collaboration with Rober Racine, meticulous documentation and analysis were undertaken to balance conservation of the original materials with respect for the artistic intent. Should the yellowed adhesive tapes be replaced or retained? Should we intervene to replace misplaced words? After more than 800 hours of work over three years, the alphabetical order was restored wherever possible, weakened elements were consolidated and a new transport system was put in place.
The restoration has restored the work’s integrity, providing a better understanding of how the passage of time transforms our perception of contemporary works. It also illustrates the MAC’s essential role in preserving Quebec’s artistic heritage, ensuring that major works can continue to be seen, understood and appreciated.
Racine, Rober
Le Terrain du dictionnaire A/Z, 1980
Styromousse, bâtonnets de bois, carton et papier
16 x 853,4 x 731,5 cm
Collection Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
© Rober Racine
Photos : Richard-Max Tremblay
Interview with the conservator - In French
The Art of Giving
Restoring a work of art means allowing it to survive for years without losing its essence. It means prolonging its existence while ensuring that it can be seen and understood as the artist intended. Thanks to the support of MAC donors, works like Le Terrain du dictionnaire A/Z can be preserved for future generations. You play an essential role!