<論文>近現代美術の「臭気」をめぐる一考察 --展示、収蔵、保存、修復のケーススタディ

Abstract

Modern and contemporary art is composed of a wide variety of elements. This paper shall examine the 'smell' given off by some modern and contemporary art, from its creation to its exhibition and conservation. Such an examination shall be done from a variety of perspectives, including historical changes, material, intent of the creators of art, and exhibition and installation. Furthermore, as 'smell' as an element can never be completely eliminated from the works of olfactory art containing it, the speakers shall suggest whether future treatment or re-exhibition is desirable. Even without the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Multisensory Met project in September 2015, the field of olfactory art (scent-based art) has become an increasingly active one. Since Marcel Duchamp's Air de Paris (conceived in 1919 and executed in 1964), a number of artists have emerged using unscented air as the theme of their works. Damien Hirst's A Thousand Years (1990) used cow heads that decayed and gave off a terrible smell over the course of its exhibition. What was attempted here was a new form of expression, in which aging was exhibited using foul odours as the medium. As recalled by art historian Caro Verbeek, subsequent works utilized materials that were foul in odour, such as Ernesto Neto's We Fishing the Time (1999). This trend has posed various problems, including irritated patrons, perplexed art museums, and difficulty in continuing exhibitions. Against this backdrop, the international 'Heritage Smells!' project was established in 2010, and discussion of foul odours has become a major issue in art conservation, including surveys to analyse chemically the causes of the odours emitted by modern works. However, the presenters point out that when artists speculate on the future, in which the materials they use may begin to smell bad as a result of decomposition, there is a risk that cleaning interventions will be recommended as required. As described by art historian Alessandro Conti, since the Renaissance, artists have chosen to use materials with the expectation that these would eventually take on a desired patina as their colour gradually fades. If we assume the foul odours given off by contemporary artwork to be an 'aromatic patina', then the role of art conservation is not to remove the odours without consideration but to identify scientifically their cause, understand the intent of the creators, and then suggest more desirable environments for housing and exhibition. Therefore, given the persistent smell from the residual liquids and organic materials used in artistic works, here we present new techniques and ideas for cleaning interventions in which foul odours are also preserved as much as possible as an artistic element. This effort stems from a case study by the presenters of Shoichi Ida's Tantra (1962–2006), which was housed without scientific consideration for the hazards it posed to health and other concerns. This presentation is offered as basic research into the 'art history of stink' not found in previous studies. In addition, this discussion may offer a new vantage point on how contemporary artists both inside and outside of Japan have dealt with the properties and aging of materials when selecting them.