This is an interdisciplinary conference on the varied issues arising from the instability of plastic materials used in art and design objects. It is the first of its kind to be held in the United Kingdom and we hope to address the issues in a practical manner. The main purpose of the conference is for people from the two different cultures – arts & science to meet and try to solve the problem of the degradation of plastics in art and design objects in museums and galleries. The discipline of Conservation actually straddles both arts & science and so is a good meeting point for people from both worlds. We hope that strong links will be made between science departments in universities (chemistry, materials science) and fine arts departments and independent artists. From these links we hope that artists may learn more about the properties of materials and scientists may learn more about the theory & practice of art. By having speakers from both the commercial art world (AXA art insurance) and museum curators (Sue Pritchard V&A) we hope make artists aware that their choice of materials for use in works may have significant long term economic reverberations.

We have had a very positive worldwide response to the call for papers from both the arts and science communities. This interdisciplinary conference is aimed at museum professionals, scientists, artists, product designers and students from arts, design & science. Posters will be displayed in Seminar Room 2 adjacent to the Lecture Theatre.

Please refer to the conference website for the full list of speakers and their talks.

Registration required:

Yes

Free:

No