AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Registration required - add this session to your Annual Meeting registration
$165 registration fee; maximum 18 registrants

Let’s keep those neon-containing artworks in your care from gathering dust! Neon tubes are increasingly present in cultural heritage collections, and their display almost entirely relies on whether a conservation professional can bring the piece to an operational status. However, their care is virtually never covered in conservation training programs. This workshop will provide documentation protocols, strategies for problem-solving, and tips and tricks in care and handling.

The first half of the workshop will cover the technology of neon tubes, their mechanisms for operation, protocols for assessment and documentation, and considerations for installation environments and illumination. The second half will be hands-on assembly, care, handling and packing of neon artworks. The workshop will be team-taught by a neon conservator and a neon fabricator.
Following the workshop, participants will be able to:

• recognize common gases in neon units.
• describe the components and assess their operability.
• document the condition of neon artwork.
• advise on handling, assembly, packing, and storage.

This workshop is co-organized by the Getty Conservation Institute, AIC’s Contemporary Art Network, AIC’s Objects Specialty Group, and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation.