AIC's 46th Annual Meeting

In recognition of the significant historical, cultural and financial value of Australian time-based art collections, conservation, registration and curatorial departments have been working independently to develop policies, procedures and programs for time-based art. These efforts are not moving quickly enough, however, to meaningfully reduce the risk of losing important twentieth and twenty-first century time-based artworks. The past efforts of individuals working in an ad-hoc fashion, while adequate to resolve minor issues at hand, does not adequately address the ongoing challenges of time-based art conservation as a discipline. Consequently, many Australian institutions have fallen behind in the development and specialisation of time-based art conservation; this lack of participation can be attributed to geographical isolation, a lack of financial investment and resourcing within Australian institutions, very little expertise, a lack of training programs for specialists in the field, and an absence of upper level advocacy within the sector.
Australian institutions are approaching the precipice of a breakthrough regarding the way we embrace and manage our time-based art collections. To achieve a broader vision for the future of Australian time-based art collections, national institutions need to focus on the following goals:
·       The implementation of comprehensive new policies and procedures for time-based collections in Australian institutions
·       Education and advocacy for the management of time-based art collections in Australia
·       A shift in institutional culture and the traditional demarcation of roles when seizing opportunities to create new streams of museum practice   
and collaboration
·       Contribution to the greater dialogue surrounding the end of life strategies applied to time-based artworks
·       The development of training programs in the field of time-based art conservation
While the efforts of institutions such as The Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) have begun to facilitate a shift in thinking, combined with tangible momentum from conservation professionals working towards addressing the needs of Australian time-based art collections, much remains to be done to ensure this progress can be both consolidated and built upon to bring about lasting, comprehensive change at a national level.