Gallery Talk: From Neon to Syringes—Conserving Charlotte Moorman’s Cello Sculptures

A recent gift of three sculptures by American artist Charlotte Moorman (1933–1991) marks the first works by this classically trained cellist and avant-garde artist to enter the Harvard Art Museums collections. Due to their unusual materials, Syringe Cello (1989), Neon Cello (1989), and Bronze Shadow Cello (1983–89) presented a range of unique conservation challenges ahead of their installation. Objects conservation fellow Kaela Nurmi will share how the treatment of these works pushed the boundaries of traditional objects conservation and highlighted the complexities of preserving experimental art.

This gallery talk is part of our New on View series, highlighting recent gallery installations and presenting new insights into recent acquisitions or old favorites.