LOOP Talks 2022: Beyond Ownership

Traditionally we think of museum collections as being permanent. Their raison d’être is to retain artifacts and artworks in perpetuity, in order to care for and preserve them for future generations. However this notion of ‘forever’ is tied to a singular understanding of time as linear. Whether caring for objects of devotion that reflect beliefs and civilizations or presenting ephemeral works by modern and contemporary artists, museums are increasingly caught between ethical responsibility to uphold the community or artist’s intent, law and their duty to preserve. Within this is the strong resistance to ephemerality, not only because of the loss of cultural heritage but also because of the financial implications of acquiring a work that inherently will not last. This conversation between Salma Tuqan, Claudia Segura and artist Gala Porras-Kim, whose work challenges institutional conservation and collecting practices, looked at examples within her practice, as well as other examples of artists whose work refutes ideas of ownership.