Editorial

Abstract

Papers in this volume focus on geographic locations drawn from Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the Eastern borders of Australia. In these parts of the world, we all know that there is a long record of active use and conservation of material culture through traditional systems, while the professionalised practice of conservation engendered by its existence, has a relatively recent history. In Australia the professionalisation of conservation was activated by the Piggott report in  to then establish formal university training and the graduation of professional conservators (Sloggett ). Two papers in this volume represent such professional modes of conservation and focus on the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) and Margel Hinder’s (–)sculptures; and Museum Victoria and hazard mitigation procedures for mercury identified in their Geology, Bird and Mammal skins, the First Peoples collection, and the Society and Technology collections. While in a Southeast Asian context, professional conservation practice has followed varied pathways to arrive at preservation methodologies appropriate to the object’s value and materiality, the diverse tropical climates and related degradation mechanisms, and the in-country resources, knowledge systems and expertise (Tse ). The three papers that speak to these notions centre on Indonesia and the embracing of traditional knowledge systems by The Borobudur Conservation Office; on Singapore and an examination of the significant twentieth century artists Georgette Chen (–) and Cheong Soo Pieng (–); and on Taiwan with a study of the artist Chen Cheng-Po (–), also an important twentieth century artist in the Asia Pacific region. In all, these papers represent localised conservation practises that have evolved from their regional contexts. Saiful Bakhri’s paper titled ‘Promoting Traditional Knowledge in Conservation: The Role of The Borobudur Conservation Office’, examines how the world heritage listed site, Borobudur, has managed and preserved the site utilising traditional and professional modes of conservation. Under the Ministry of Education, BCO has long incorporated living cultures and ‘locally sourced materials for use in conservation practice through scientific research and development’ and as such, has produced industry-grade materials as part of its creative economy and sustainable future. Bakhri notes that the integration of traditional ecological knowledge with scientific notions of conservation, has been long term with ‘cross-cultural engagements and participatory processes’ across knowledge hierarchies, communities, disciplines and professional domains at its core. As such, Bakhri sees the efforts of BCO as a sustainable model for conservation and draws on the wider theoretical discussions on the topic, which he is well situated to do so as a young Indonesian professional conservator. Likewise, Diana Tay’s paper ‘Expanding the Singaporean discourse: Exploring artist materials from the s tos’ draws on technical art history and situated research. Utilising documentary processes, technical photography and archival research, she analyses the methodologies she employs and the narrative of twentieth century Singapore painting practice. Tay’s paper interrogates this space and the physical fabric of  works of art by Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen, to develop trends and modes of practice specific to Singaporean twentieth century artists. As such, she identifies the Japanese artist colourmen ‘Holbein’ on canvas paintings predominately from the s and possibly artist or hand primed canvas in the s and s. Ioseba Soraluze’s paper also examines the influences on painting practice in the works of Taiwanese artist Chen Cheng-Po with his paper, ‘Preserving the legacy of Chen Cheng-Po 陳澄 波: Restoration project of the first Western style painter of Taiwan’. It examines the art historical, educational and social influences on his work, and preservation of them in Taiwan. Links with Chinese transnational communities are also explored and Japanese artist suppliers, like Tay’s paper, highlighting the role of transnationalism and entangled links between twentieth century artists. Melanie Barrett and Lois Waters’ paper on ‘Conserving the expanded art object for Margel Hinder: Modern in Motion’ examines how the ‘relational’ knowledge of the materials and techniques of the artist’s work and elements of ‘light, movement and space’, can be authentically displayed. Margel Hinder, a transnational artist arriving from Europe and part of a network of sculptors and artists late in the twentieth century, was exposed to many influences, competing demands and time-based situations. Barrett and Waters’ explore these notions and the materiality of her sculptures, maquettes and archival records, including the early use of Perspex and weighty materials of wood and metal, to infer meanings and develop a conceptual ‘artists sanction’ framework. Such relational knowledge grounds their decision making for the conservation of the objects and works on paper, and their display. Their joint authored paper, is considered and transparent in its approach.