{"id":60,"date":"2023-05-16T20:21:03","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T20:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/?page_id=60"},"modified":"2026-03-21T01:42:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T01:42:00","slug":"adapting-for-the-long-term-the-realization-of-robert-gobers-untitled-1992-as-a-lasting-installation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/adapting-for-the-long-term-the-realization-of-robert-gobers-untitled-1992-as-a-lasting-installation\/","title":{"rendered":"Adapting for the Long Term: The Realization of Robert Gober\u2019s Untitled<\/em>, 1992, as a Lasting Installation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

Adapting for the Long Term: The Realization of Robert Gober\u2019s Untitled<\/em>, 1992, as a Lasting Installation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Samantha Owens and Austin Anderson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contemporary Art Review, Volume 1 (2021)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Download Article (PDF, 2MB)<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Adaptaci\u00f3n para el largo plazo: La realizaci\u00f3n de Untitled<\/em>, 1992, de Robert Gober, como instalaci\u00f3n permanente<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Samantha Owens y Austin Anderson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contemporary Art Review, Volumen 1 (2021)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
DESCARGAR ART\u00cdCULO (PDF, 2MB)<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Keywords<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

living artist, long-term installation, long-term display, mitigation, collaboration<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The realization of the long-term exhibition of Robert Gober\u2019s Untitled<\/em>, 1992, at Glenstone Museum was the result of years of planning and over seventy meetings between the artist and the architect of the Pavilions. The mixed media, room-sized installation includes enameled sinks with running water, piles of newspaper stacks, and a 360\u00b0 hand-painted mural of a forest, among other elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to its installation at Glenstone, Untitled<\/em> had been exhibited three times: in 1992 at the Dia Center for the Arts, New York, for nine months; in 2007 at the Schaulager, Basel, for five months; and in 2014 at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, for three months. At Glenstone, the work is on long-term view in a gallery space specifically designed for it. Preparation for and installation of the work at Glenstone spanned three years and required a range of expertise, from plumbers, electricians, and muralists to theatrical lighting designers and other contractors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Untitled<\/em> has now been installed for over three years and, in this time, inherent condition issues directly linked to its long-term presentation have become apparent. Maintenance challenges include ongoing, expected maintenance of operational components, as well as unexpected tasks. These include the development\u2014and subsequent treatment\u2014of blue copper staining in the sinks, and the research, testing, and mitigation precipitated by spalling enamel of the same. Treatment included going back to the sinks\u2019 fabricator to understand the underlying source of new damages and to discuss mitigation techniques.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collaboration between Glenstone\u2019s conservation team and external specialists has proven to be vital for the realization and long-term maintenance of Untitled<\/em>. Decisions made in concert with the artist and his studio are integral to presenting the work correctly and maintaining it to the proper standard, while conservators who oversaw prior installations of the work provided helpful knowledge on short-term maintenance. Presenting this complex installation for long-term display required extensive planning, but also flexibility when new, unanticipated problems arose, making collaboration essential to this process. The knowledge gained from these first years of display will guide conservators in maintaining the work for many years to come.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
Palabras Clave<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

artista vivo, instalaci\u00f3n de larga duraci\u00f3n, exposici\u00f3n de larga duraci\u00f3n, mitigaci\u00f3n, colaboraci\u00f3n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resumen<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

La realizaci\u00f3n de la exposici\u00f3n de largo t\u00e9rmino de Untitled<\/em>, 1992, de Robert Gober, en el Museo Glenstone fue el resultado de a\u00f1os de planificaci\u00f3n y m\u00e1s de setenta reuniones entre el artista y el arquitecto de los Pabellones. La instalaci\u00f3n, realizada con t\u00e9cnicas mixtas, que ocupa una sala entera del museo, incluye entre otros elementos, lavabos esmaltados con agua corriente, montones de pilas de peri\u00f3dicos y un mural en 360\u00ba de un bosque pintado a mano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antes de su instalaci\u00f3n en Glenstone, Untitled<\/em> se expuso tres veces: en 1992 en el Dia Center for the Arts, New York, durante nueve meses; en 2007 en el Schaulager, Basel, durante cinco meses; y en 2014 en The Museum of Modern Art, New York, durante tres meses. En Glenstone, la obra se expone en concepto de larga duraci\u00f3n en un espacio especialmente dise\u00f1ado para ella. La preparaci\u00f3n e instalaci\u00f3n de la obra en Glenstone dur\u00f3 tres a\u00f1os y requiri\u00f3 una amplia gama de expertizaje, desde fontaneros, electricistas y muralistas, hasta dise\u00f1adores de iluminaci\u00f3n teatral y otros contratistas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Untitled <\/em>lleva instalada m\u00e1s de tres a\u00f1os y, en este tiempo, se han puesto de manifiesto problemas en su estado de conservaci\u00f3n directamente relacionados con su exposici\u00f3n permanente. Los desaf\u00edos de mantenimiento incluyen el mantenimiento continuado de la obra, as\u00ed como las tareas inesperadas. Entre ellas, la aparici\u00f3n\u2014y posterior tratamiento\u2014de manchas azules de cobre en los fregaderos, y la investigaci\u00f3n, pruebas y mitigaci\u00f3n precipitadas por el desconchamiento del esmalte de los mismos. El tratamiento incluy\u00f3 volver a hablar con el fabricante para entender el origen de los nuevos da\u00f1os en los fregaderos y discutir t\u00e9cnicas para su mitigaci\u00f3n. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

La colaboraci\u00f3n entre el equipo de conservaci\u00f3n de Glenstone y los especialistas externos al museo ha resultado vital para la realizaci\u00f3n y el mantenimiento a largo plazo de Untitled<\/em>. Las decisiones tomadas de com\u00fan acuerdo con el artista y su estudio son fundamentales para presentar la obra correctamente y mantenerla al nivel adecuado, mientras que los conservadores que supervisaron las instalaciones previas al museo aportaron conocimientos \u00fatiles sobre el mantenimiento a corto plazo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

La presentaci\u00f3n de esta compleja instalaci\u00f3n para su exhibici\u00f3n a largo plazo exig\u00eda una planificaci\u00f3n exhaustiva, pero tambi\u00e9n flexibilidad cuando surg\u00edan problemas nuevos e imprevistos, por lo que la colaboraci\u00f3n era esencial en este proceso. Los conocimientos adquiridos en estos primeros a\u00f1os de exposici\u00f3n guiar\u00e1n a los conservadores en el mantenimiento de la obra durante muchos a\u00f1os.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
Citation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Owens, Samantha, and Austin Anderson. 2022. \u201cAdapting for the Long Term: The Realization of Robert Gober\u2019s Untitled<\/em>, 1992, as a Lasting Installation \/ Adaptaci\u00f3n para el Largo Plazo: la Realizaci\u00f3n de Untitled<\/em>, 1992, de Robert Gober, como Instalaci\u00f3n Permanente.\u201d In Contemporary Art Review<\/em>, Vol. 1. Edited by Delia M\u00fcller W\u00fcsten, Martha Singer. Washington, DC: AIC. 121\u2013136.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adapting for the Long Term: The Realization of Robert Gober\u2019s Untitled, 1992, as a Lasting Installation Samantha Owens and Austin Anderson Contemporary Art Review, Volume 1 (2021) Adaptaci\u00f3n para el largo plazo: La realizaci\u00f3n de Untitled, 1992, de Robert Gober, como instalaci\u00f3n permanente Samantha Owens y Austin Anderson Contemporary Art Review, Volumen 1 (2021) Keywords […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":349,"featured_media":187,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-60","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/contemporaryartreview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}