Tangite me : Reconsidering Conservation during the Pandemic

“Tangite me (Touch me)” ― perhaps an artwork in need of conservation tells us in this way. Normally, we are expected to keep our distance from artworks, to appreciate them without touching. But the conservation of artworks is not possible without getting up close and touching them directly. When an artwork says, “Touch me”, and we are permitted to do so, what is the appropriate response? Keio University has long been involved in the conservation and restoration of the artworks in its collections. These works are diverse in medium and in their style of installation. They include a large marble statue that suffered damage along with the library in the Great Tokyo Air Raid, a mural that still adorns the Mita campus cafeteria after being relocated, and a 12-meter-long work made of blueprint-photosensitive paper. In this exhibition, we will focus on the various methods for conserving each artwork according to its characteristics, and aim to exchange ideas about restoration with you through a symposium and workshops. We hope that this exhibition will provide an opportunity to encounter artworks from the perspective of “touch” during the Pandemic, when opportunities for direct contact are diminishing.

Organisers: Keio University Art Center, Keio Museum Commons, Keio Art Committee
Cooperation: Art Restoration Studio 21, Bronze Studio