Contemporary Conservation

Contemporary Conservation Ltd. is a private art conservation studio based in New York and led by senior conservator Christian Scheidemann, who serves as president. The practice is best known for its expertise in the conservation of contemporary art, particularly works that employ unconventional, non-traditional, or inherently unstable materials. Scheidemann received his training in the conservation of medieval paintings and polychromed sculpture, as well as in art history, in Bonn, Germany, and subsequently worked in conservation laboratories at the Pinakothek in Munich, the Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, and the Hamburger Kunsthalle. He opened his own conservation practice in Hamburg in 1983, and over the following decades worked with major collections in Europe and the United States. The studio's specialty is the treatment and preservation of works by artists who charge non-traditional materials—such as petroleum jelly, elephant dung, chewing gum, soap, or chocolate—with iconographic significance. This focus places Contemporary Conservation at the intersection of materials science, art history, and the practical ethics of conserving artworks whose physical substances are central to their meaning and are often prone to deterioration. Scheidemann has lectured and published extensively on the conservation of contemporary art and on the meaning of material and process in contemporary practice. Beyond individual treatments, the studio has organized public symposia to advance the field. In 2015, Scheidemann and his team organized 'The First Crack,' a symposium on conservation and value in contemporary art. In 2018, they organized a second symposium, 'Body of Work: Contemporary Artists' Estates and Conservation,' which explored the relationship between contemporary artists' estates and conservation and the collective task of maintaining artistic legacy. The firm operates as a private company and serves museums, collectors, estates, and other custodians of contemporary art.

Contemporary Conservation Ltd. is a conservation practice rooted in the training and career of its president, Christian Scheidemann. Scheidemann trained in Germany in the conservation of medieval paintings and polychromed sculpture, as well as in art history, in Bonn. He then gained further experience in museum conservation laboratories, including the Pinakothek in Munich, the Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, and the Hamburger Kunsthalle. In 1983 he opened his own conservation practice in Hamburg. Over the following decades, Scheidemann worked with major collections in Europe and the United States, and the practice developed a particular specialization in the conservation of contemporary art. A defining characteristic of this work is the treatment of artworks made from non-traditional materials—such as petroleum jelly, elephant dung, chewing gum, soap, or chocolate—that artists have charged with iconographic significance. Conserving such works requires attention not only to physical stability but also to the meaning of material and process, a subject on which Scheidemann has lectured and published extensively. The studio's activities have extended beyond individual treatments into field-building convenings. In 2015, Scheidemann and his team organized 'The First Crack,' a symposium on conservation and value in contemporary art. In 2018, they organized a second symposium, 'Body of Work: Contemporary Artists' Estates and Conservation,' providing a platform to explore the relationship between contemporary artists' estates and conservation, and the collective task of maintaining artistic legacy. The firm operates as a private company, based in New York, serving museums, collectors, estates, and other custodians of contemporary art.

• 2018

  Scheidemann and his team organize 'Body of Work: Contemporary Artists' Estates and Conservation.'

• 2015

  Scheidemann and his team organize 'The First Crack,' a symposium on conservation and value in contemporary art.

• 1983

  Christian Scheidemann opens his own conservation practice in Hamburg.

Specialist conservation studio for contemporary art, with recognized expertise in unconventional and unstable artist materials.

• Conservation treatment of contemporary artworks

• Conservation of paintings and polychromed sculpture

• Conservation of works using non-traditional materials

• Condition assessment and treatment planning

• Consulting for artists' estates and collections

1. 1About — Contemporary Conservation Ltd.contemporaryconservation.com
2. 2Contemporary Conservation Ltd. — Wikidatawikidata.org