The Ephemeral,the Essential and the Material in the Conservation of Contemporary Art: Decision-Making for the Conservation of a Work of Art Made with Butterfly Wings

This article presents the intervention process carried out on a work of art created by artist Yolanda Gutiérrez Acosta, using a series of ephemeral materials such as butterfly wings and agave thorns. The work, an installation from 2002, is entitled ‘Efímeras’ (‘Ephemera’) and consists of 12 flowers mounted on acetate sheets and attached to the same with vinyl acetate copolymers and acrylic acid esters (Mowilith®). These flowers are installed on the floor in a bed of dried flowers. The conservation of contemporary art can lead to some previously unimaginable problems for restorers. Current works of art are somewhat material in nature, but they also have a conceptual dimension that is essential for their artistic interpretation. The artist’s participation in the decision-making process prior to the restoration was quite useful. The passage of time, its effect on the work, and the need to understand the possibility of the demise and destruction of the work were implicit as of the onset of its creation, such that, according to the artist, we are forced to reflect upon the possibilities of its future state.