This event is being hosted by the University of Amsterdam, in conclusion of its three-year research project Oral History - Stories at the Museum around Artworks (OH-SMArt) (2022-2025) and SBMK (Foundation for the Conservation of Contemporary Art). It’s meant to share expertise, address concerns and initiate future collaborations. Symposium contributions as such will be published in a peer reviewed open access publication, in line with the project’s goal to be FAIR about insight into artworks and their care.

Central to this project is the use of oral history for conservation research, following the FAIR Principles for research data which should secure and improve its findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability. This can be a challenge with spoken narratives, due to ethical questions, the laborious strain of processing interview materials, and lack of tools and infrastructure. However, all of these elements are crucial to consider for knowledge dissemination. Museums and institutions often hold a surplus of unique interview materials that often go unseen by researchers and professionals who would use it as a tool in their conservation practice. How then, can this be shared and prepared for further analysis in research, given the ever-growing possibilities for digital analysis? The three-year project OH-SMArt, funded by the Dutch Platform for Digital Infrastructure – Social Sciences and Humanities (PDI-SSH), has made a start in addressing this by developing a long-term digital research infrastructure for oral history with research into artworks as a use case. OH-SMArt is led by the University of Amsterdam in collaboration with DANS-KNAW (Data Archiving and Networked Services), Sound and Vision, Foundation for Open Speech Technology (SOS), the University of Twente and various Dutch museums, included through SBMK. The symposium as a result will focus especially on interoperability and reuse.

The symposium will span November 29th with an optional free on-site presentation by Ursula Davila-Villa and Miranda Samuels on the work of artist Cecilia Vicuña which will be held at the Stedelijk Museum the afternoon prior. 

The symposium's morning will consist of a series of presentations followed by a catered lunch and an afternoon of workshops. Workshops will be presented parallel but double so that attendees will have the opportunity to attend two workshops of the selection of five. The afternoon will then conclude with a panel discussion, closing remarks and drinks giving an opportunity to discuss at ease with colleagues and continue the conversation on FAIR use of artist interviews.

Price and Registration

The OH-SMArt Symposium 2024 and SBMK day 2024 costs €125 excl. VAT and €60 excl. VAT for students. The day is free for museum partners of SBMK who pay an annual subscription. Interested parties can register via the registration form on the SBMK’s website. Workshops can be registered for the morning of the symposium.

Preliminary programme

29 November 2024, Roeterseiland Campus, De Brug

09:30 - 09:50 Registration
10:00 - 10:10 Welcome and Introduction
- Paulien ’t Hoen, SBMK & Sanneke Stigter, UvA

10:10 - 10:30 An Oral History of Precariousness: Case Study with Artist Cecilia Vicuña
- Ursula Davila-Villa and Miranda Samuels (Davila-Villa & Stothart)

10:30 - 10:50 artemak.art: Archive for Techniques and Materials of Contemporary Artists
- Ursula Haller and Sarah Giering (Dresden University of Fine Arts)

10:50 - 11:10 Weaving Together Narrative Threads: Oral History in the Context of Conservation Research
- Sigrid Eyb-Green, Magdalena Schindler and Catherine Bouvier (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna)

11:10 - 11:30 Coffee
11:30 - 11:50 Interview Snapshots (3 x 5 minutes)
11:50 - 12:10 Generative Preservation and the Artist’s Interview: mouchette.org
- Olivia Brum (Conservator) and Martine Neddam (Artist)

12:10 - 12:30 The Politics and Ethics of Interview Transcription
- Jennifer Thatcher (University of Kent)

12:30 - 13: 30  Lunch

Workshops

13:30 - 14:30 Parallel Workshops - Session 1 (tea provided)
14:45 - 15:45 Parallel Workshops - Session 2 (tea provided)

Your choice from five parallel workshops:
- Transcribe your interview critically, Arjan van Hessen (University of Twente)
- Transcribe your interview critically, Lucia Farinati (Kingston University London)
- Record and analyse nonverbal expression, Khiet Truong (University of Twente)
- Deposit your interview, Jetze Touber (DANS)
- Be Reflexive in Research and Practice, Gerben Westerhof (University of Twente)

16:00 - 16:30  Panel Discussion: Substantiating Artwork Interviews in Research
- Moderator Paulien ‘t Hoen
- Lucia Farinati, Jennifer Thatcher, Jean Wainwright, Ursula Haller, Sarah Giering, Sylvia Schaik, Sanneke Stigter and Sigrid Eyb Green

16:30 - 16:45 Closing Remarks
- Paulien ‘t Hoen and Sanneke Stigter

16:45 - 17:45  Drinks

OH-SMArt Symposium 2024: On-site presentation

28th November 2024, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

16.30-17:00 (optional) On-site presentation on working with artist Cecilia Vicuña
- Ursula Davila-Villa and Miranda Samuels (Davila-Villa & Stothart)
Limited places and reserved for delegates only.* Booked up.

*Note that museum entrance fee is still applicable. Allow time for checking in.