AIC's 44th Annual Meeting

Today’s focus on attracting new audiences to museums to engage with exhibitions in a range of ways, has resulted in many museums hosting activities that are unusual in a gallery environment—including concerts, parties, and athletic and dance performances which often involve vigorous physical and extreme audio energy, sometimes close enough to impact works of art. At one such event, the use of “sub woofer” speakers, one floor above, caused visible movement of some sensitive artifacts. A preliminary review has provided several anecdotal reports of damage to fragile objects (mostly fine glass and minerals) after exposure to high levels of noise/vibration. But no information on noise levels or frequencies was documented. The purpose of this project is to review existing information on the effects of high noise/vibration on delicate artifacts and works of art; to quantify sound/vibration levels, including frequency analyses, during events and/or maintenance/construction activities; and to learn when damage may occur. Ultimately, the aim is to identify scenarios/situations where damage may occur and to prevent or mitigate this damage to art and, coincidentally to people (artists, gallery employees and visitors). In this presentation, the collaborators on this project, the Head of Conservation and Collections Care at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and a Professor of Occupational Hygiene from the University of Toronto will talk about the project and the preliminary findings.