Academic thesis
| Jacqueline Schorn: | A multifaceted narrative. Material and immaterial aspects of tissue paper work “Double Head” (1987) by Adriena Šimotová | Back |
| Language: | Original - Translation | |
| Overview: |
|
|
| Abstract: | In December 2023, two conservators at the Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien (mumok) noticed a large-scale tissue paper work by Czech artist Adriena Šimotová in the museum’s storage. The severely yellowed condition and the fragile, materially and conceptually complex structure of the piece raised fundamental questions: What significance does the object hold – and how can its condition and material composition be interpreted in consideration of the artist’s intent? This initial encounter with the work, later identified as Double Head, marked the starting point of an interdisciplinary research project that combined art historical, conservation-based, and contextual approaches. The aim was to document and analyze Double Head (1987) with regard to its materiality, conceptual framework, production context, and object biography, as well as to develop a sustainable preservation strategy. Adriena Šimotová (1926–2014), a key figure in the ‘unofficial’ art scene of former Czechoslovakia, worked under restrictive conditions in an abandoned monastery. Excluded from the ‘official’ art system, she relied on a network of solidarity that provided her with access to materials and alternative exhibition spaces. Double Head, composed of sixteen layers of tissue paper, reflects these circumstances and represents a remarkable example of her experimental frottage technique. The research is engaged with the work through archival investigations, interviews with contemporaries, and an experimental re-enactment of the creation process. A material-ecological perspective served as a methodological framework — an approach that relates material traces, context of production, and performative aspects. The resulting object-biographical condition analysis allowed for a historically and contextually grounded understanding of damage and aging processes. The derived conservation measures were tailored to the specific requirements of this artwork and are transferable to other comparable tissue paper-based works. This study contributes to conservation research on conceptually and materially complex objects, demonstrating how an interdisciplinary approach can enable not only their preservation but also a deeper understanding and mediation of artistic intent. |
| Keywords: | large-format tissue paper, Adriena Šimotová, material ecology, material agency, reenactment, object biography, insert techniques |
| Details: |
|
| Back | |
The Hornemann Institute offers only the information displayed here. For further information or copies of academic work, please contact the author or - if there is no contact provided - the secretariats of the respective faculties.