Academic thesis
| Antonia Diewald: | Please touch! Strategies for preserving the interactivity and materiality of Rivane Neuenschwander´s installation "Globos" (2003) | Back |
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| Abstract: | This thesis deals with the installation “Globos” (2003) by the Brazilian artist Rivane Neuenschwander. The work comprises 240 commercially available balls, each painted in different colors by the artist to represent various national flags. In 2004, the installation was acquired by Fundación TBA21. “Globos” was conceived as an interactive installation in which visitors can touch and rearrange the balls. This results in shifting spatial and symbolic relationships that highlight the dynamics and fragility of geopolitical borders. Due to ongoing interaction and material changes related to aging, damage and alterations occurred over time, particularly affecting the soft-PVC balls. The work includes an investigation and documentation of the current state of preservation of the installation. Based on these findings, specific conservation strategies were developed. These included coating tests using an organic-inorganic hybrid coating, applied with the aim of reducing plasticizer migration from the soft-PVC balls. As preventive measures for the soft-PVC balls, some exemplary interventions were carried out such as the replacement of brittle original valves to restore the balls’ shape, surface cleaning and the consolidation of the paint layer. Another essential part of this thesis is the development of a practice-oriented concept for dealing with balls that can no longer be exhibited. This concept is based on discussions with Studio Neuenschwander and the TBA21 collection as well as on insights gained from condition assessments and material analyses, to enable a practical approach to producing replicas. This thesis demonstrates that the preservation and reactivation of a complex and interactive installation like “Globos” cannot be achieved through a single measure but rather through a combination of different strategies aimed at preserving both the materiality and the artistic intent. |
| Keywords: | interactive installation, Rivane Neuenschwander, soft PVC, polyurethane paints, plasticizer migration, organic-inorganic hybrid coating, replication, artist interview |
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