Join us for the third event in our Sustainability in Conservation series, where Kim Kraczon and Vivian Yip will share insights into the sustainable initiatives they are leading in the field.
Greenwashing Revelations Through Revision: Re-evaluating Sustainability Claims of Bioplastics – Kim Kraczon, Ki Culture
Since its launch in January 2021, Ki Culture’s Waste and Materials Ki Book has been downloaded over 5,000 times by practitioners of cultural heritage worldwide, establishing the online sustainability manual as one of the leading guides for mitigating the environmental burden of materials we encounter in cultural heritage. The sustainability manual initially focused on finding alternatives to reduce waste and lessen the environmental impact of the plastic materials we encounter in collections care and transport. This led to an exploration of emerging alternative materials, such as bioplastics, as potential replacements for petroleum-derived plastics. Terms such as biodegradable, compostable, green, environmentally friendly, and sustainable are commonly used in the marketing strategies for bioplastics and biobased materials. However, the question arises: Are these alternatives actually better options for the environment and cultural heritage than their plastic counterparts?
In this talk, Kim Kraczon critically examines the language and images associated with so-called eco-friendly materials, such as bioplastics and biobased compostable/biodegradable products, to better decipher the environmental impact and applicability of these materials in culture heritage practices.
A journey towards sustainability: Supplementing single use Tate cases with commercially available reusable cases – expanded version – Vivian Yip, Tate
Responding to a need to reduce the number of cases disposed of after international transit for the Tate Loans programme, investigation of alternatives had been initiated by the Collection Care Sustainability Group within Tate. This talk will trace our journey in pursuit of this goal, with a focus on our enquiry into the feasibility of supplementing single use Tate cases with commercially available reusable cases. How we approached the testing of the suitability of cases with limited resources in both time and funding within a big art institution with four UK sites and 8 extremely busy programme areas? A short test run in preparation for a trial has taken place recently to benchmark a commercially reuseable options against a Tate’s standard case in order to deliver a recommendation for the acceptable use case scenarios for works on paper, starting with our loans-out programme. This would simultaneously allow us and to design a benchmarking methodology for other reusable cases in the future.
Co-organised by the UK Museums and Heritage Sustainable Packing Group and Clare Richardson, Head of Conservation at The Courtauld, as part of her work with the GoGreen project.
Speakers:
Kim Kraczon is a conservator of modern materials and contemporary art specializing in sustainable practices in the art sector. Her area of expertise and primary focus in the field of sustainability is mitigating the environmental burden of materials and methods in conservation, art production, and exhibition-making. Kraczon is an advisor to Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), where she develops online resources and tools to facilitate an environmentally responsible art world. At Ki Culture, Kraczon is a materials specialist at the helm of the Materials Ki Book, an online sustainability guide for practitioners of cultural heritage. Kraczon is often at the forefront of research and discourse on a wide range of sustainability topics, participating in numerous working groups, symposiums, and panels internationally. As a researcher at the nexus between sustainability and cultural heritage, she regularly hosts workshops and lectures on sustainable strategies for museum professionals, gallery staff, and university students.
Vivian Yip is Paper Conservator for Tate Loans-out programme, Exhibitions and Displays for Tate St Ives. Graduated with MA Conservation (UAL, UK) and MArtAdm (UNSW, Australia). Special interest in microfading, hydrogels and oil on paper. Spend my free time reading sci-fi, knitting and attempt to make art.
