Materiality Aura & Authenticity: Can use of contemporary art & design practice facilitate deeper engagement w. restored/reconstructed material culture

This project is a practice-based investigation into the experience of aura and authenticity at restored or reconstructed heritage sites, using the Mackintosh Building Restoration Project as a case study. Testing a methodology which relies on public engagement as a means of understanding the social relationships that visitors have with authentic places and artefacts, it questions whether contemporary art and design practice can help facilitate positive encounters and enrich engagement with restored or reconstructed material culture. This investigation will include: contextual research into methods of restoration, reconstruction and its interpretation at heritage sites; practical case studies investigating materiality and cultural biography of specific artefacts; the creation of sculptural and virtual artworks as a response to auratic definitions and oral testimony; and an exploration of ways in which findings may be harnessed to produce sensorial interpretation at heritage sites.
The foundational theoretical context of this enquiry studies the work of distinguished contributors to the field of Material Culture and Heritage Management, investigating themes of authenticity and aura, with reference to current principles of conservation and restoration. These themes are explored with reference to seminal texts by authors such as Walter Benjamin (1969[1936]), Alois Riegl (1996[1971]), Igor Kopytoff (1986) and Alfred Gell
(1998), in addition to more recent discourse led by Tim Ingold (2011), Daniel Miller (2005), and Susan Pearce (1995; Dudley and Pearce 2012). In addition, it reviews recent materialist and constructivist debates, led by Sian Jones (2010, 2009; Jones and Yarrow 2013), Cornelius Holtorf (2013), Sally Foster (Foster and Curtis 2016), Bruno Latour and Adam Lowe (2011), which form a foundation for my practical enquiry into the use of replicas and reproductions in heritage interpretation. Interrogating provocations such as that of Holtorf, who suggests that, 'visitors (...) experience authenticity and aura in front of originals to exactly the same degree as they do in front of very good reproductions or copies - as long as they do not know them to be reproductions or copies' (2013:118), in conjunction with Jones' theories on the negotiation of authenticity (2010), and Latour & Lowe's examination of auratic replicas (2011), I hope to find an acceptable balance between the physical and intangible aspects of a reproduction that could contribute to aura.
In order to investigate cross-disciplinary links between heritage and art practice, a practical review examines the work of artists dealing with materiality, memory and place, with a particular focus on sculpture and installation, referencing artists such as Rachael Whiteread, Claire Barclay, Gabriel Orozco and Damian Ortega. Similarly, it examines work of prominent post-war artists working with casting, ready-mades and replicas to explore the use of replication in sculpture; the connotations of which are fundamentally different to those arising in heritage or conservation. In addition, the use of Social Practice is considered with reference to influential texts from Nicolas Bourriard (2002), Claire Bishop (2006, 2012) and Grant Kester (2013), focusing on the role of the participant in shaping artworks, and exploring the potential of using interactions with participants to inform a new method of interpretation. Using contemporary art and design practice as a means to facilitate dialogue with visitors surrounding the themes addressed will be a critical part of the investigation, as will recording these exchanges with the local community, alumni and student body in order to understand emotional attachments to the building. By exploring sensory crossovers and the intersection between material properties, materiality and narrative, I hope to contribute a methodology for sensorial interpretation that may prompt further dialogue with visitors while maintaining transparency.