Research Summary

This project departs from the field of Contemporary Art Conservation to address the growing interest generated by the field of Exhibition History, reflecting on the challenges and possibilities that arise when we talk about preserving works with determined duration in time and space. In partnership with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Art Exhibition History Project the work of Pedro Morais (1944-2018) is identified as a meaningful case study. Characterized by the destruction and ephemerality of the “original” physical components, Pedro Morais work is yet another challenge for the Conservation field, since it occupies a place, intentionally, marginal to the commercial and institutional circuit. Conditioned by the immateriality and the scarce representation in collections, Pedro Morais work creates difficulties for future re-installations. Collecting documentation - written and oral - is therefore indispensable for the preservation and materialization of his work, rescuing it from an apparent historiographical invisibility.

PhD Project Title: Producing documentation for exhibition heritage preservation - From Calouste Foundation Gulbenkian to the Municipal Galleries: Pedro Morais work.

Supervisors: Rita Macedo (IHA, DCR FCT NOVA, Portugal), Joana Baião (IHA, FCSH NOVA, Portugal)