Mock-ups and materiality in conservation research

In conservation, mock-ups are routinely used as surrogate works of art that can be subjected to treatments proposed for use on the original objects. This paper investigates the role of mock-ups in conservation research, specifically, research into dirt removal from the monumental Aula paintings by Edvard Munch housed at the University of Oslo. The mock-ups, prepared to support an empirical evaluation of a selection of novel cleaning systems, inspired reflections on the broader socio-material role of mock-ups in research. This paper relates the philosophical basis for the use of mock-ups in conservation to aspects of perspectivism and applies categories and terminology borrowed from the medical sciences to paintings research. Through the case study, the research context, notion of material agency and the roles of mock-ups in conservation ethics, research and practice are explored.