There is an urgent need for renovation in the field of contemporary art restoration that cannot be provided by the 1972 and 1987 Restoration Charters. What is required, however, is not a new Charter, which would risk becoming obsolete within a few years, but a series of commonly shared guidelines to help manage the heterogeneity of contemporary artwork. Compared to previous centuries, in fact, modern artists have been able to experiment with new chemical products and materials that can deteriorate quickly. This gives rise to several questions, one of which is: can traditional restoration principles still be considered valid? The answer is, yes, in part. For example, some concepts of preventive maintenance, retractability, and minor intervention still seem relevant. Another important issue is the possibility of rebuilding the creative process underlying these new works of art to identify any common aspects. Interviewing the artist and examining any existing archival sources about an artwork’s exhibition and ownership history, would be very helpful. Concerning restorations, it would be inadvisable to have artists carry them out themselves, because this would restart the creative process, resulting in entirely new works of art. This paper will highlight these and other issues and provide some useful suggestions to help guide us through this new artistic landscape in an attempt to preserve the different types of cultural heritage for future generations.
