INCCA-NA Statement of Purpose

INCCA-NA is dedicated to developing knowledge through collaborations between artists, art professionals and collectors that will ensure the preservation of modern and contemporary art and provide educational programs for a wide public audience in North America.

Increasingly over the twentieth century, artists experimented with an unprecedented range of new materials and technologies – often with untested longevity and built-in obsolescence leading to physical instability. The coneptual concerns that underpin much of contemporary art make its conservation more than an effort to arrest physical change. The artist’s voice is primary in developing preservation strategies and their participation is essential for future conservation and presentation of their work.

At the heart of this effort is the need for public forums on new forms of collaboration and documentation. INCCA-NA’s network of artists, conservators, curators and collectors is committed to building knowledge and serving as a nexus for educational programs, communications, and resources.


Objectives

• Encourage and support collaborative research projects to develop new knowledge
• Facilitate the sharing of unpublished research in the conservation of modern and contemporary art
• Advocate for the importance of artist intent as a key factor in the conservation of modern and contemporary art
• Stimulate critical debate on the roles and working practices of all professionals involved in the conservation of modern and contemporary art
• Explore and develop opportunities to further the goals of INCCA-NA through educational programs for artists, curators, conservators, students and a broader public audience

• Create and collect meta-data records and unpublished documents for the INCCA Database for Artists’ Archives
• Disseminate information via a continually up-dated website
• Promote common methods and vocabularies for conserving modern and contemporary art
• Promote artist interviews and technical analysis as important methods for collecting information on artists’ materials, techniques, and conceptual intent
• Develop and implement collaborative research projects to create new knowledge, promote good practice, and professional and educational tools
• Share this new knowledge through symposia, meetings, and workshops on INCCA-NA and topical issues
• Encourage students to become active in INCCA-NA projects