Preservation and Presentation of Installation Art

Elk, Ger van

The wider the flatter

1. Installation history
2. Ger van Elk, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
3. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
4. Ger van Elk, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
5. Inside Installations, Kröller-Müller Museum
6. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo

5. Inside Installations, Kröller-Müller Museum (2006, 2007)
creator(s) Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
publisher Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo

The Kröller-Müller Museum organized an exhibition on the occasion of the research project 'Inside Installations Presentation and Preservation of Installation Art' in two periods. During 'Inside Installations I', 25.10.2006-07.01.2007 half of the artwork was on show in the gallery, meaning the frame with the photographs, only severely damaged and without the visual context of the site where the work was made fore. The conservation problem of the work was illustrated by an introduction on video and an info leaflet, by documentation on the installation history of the work and with a clip from the artist's interview about 'The wider the flatter'.

During ‘Inside Installations II’ 21.03- 03.06.2007 the actual conservation treatment could be witnessed by the audience. The process of decision-making regarding the conservation treatment was communicated to the public. After the new photographs were authorized by the artist they were mounted by a photograph conservator in a reversible way covering the old photographs. The work was reinstalled at the site where the work was made for in the grand sculpture gallery in the old wing of the Kröller-Müller Museum.