Reframing the Notion of “The Artist’s Intent:” A Study of Caring for Thomas Hirschhorn’s Intensif-Station (2010)

Museums are increasingly responsible for the care of highly complex artworks that are often co-produced, co-curated and co-conserved. The preservation of many artworks no longer hinges solely on the endurance of original materials, and as such, conservators are compelled to embrace the active life of these works. This paper studies Thomas Hirschhorn’s ongoing involvement with his work Intensif-Station (2010) over time and assesses the collaborations between artist and museum staff through the eyes of the conservator. By investigating the biography of this immersive artwork composed of rapidly degrading materials meant not to decay and perish but to persist, tangible material questions prompted conservators to probe “the artist’s intent.” Could the much-problematized notion be reframed as an open-ended process?