Home IV. Copyright 2. Alteration of an artwork after its acquisition

2. Do artists have the right to alter a work after it is acquired by a museum?

The right of integrity assures that a work will remain fundamentally unchanged after purchase, unless the artist wants to alter it or the acquiring institution has reason to restore it.

 

Example: UNEX Sign No. 2 (selections from "The Survival Series") 1983-1984, Jenny Holzer

Altering a work, whether for purposes of preservation or at the artist’s request, should be done in collaboration whenever possible. The work by Jenny Holzer belonging to the National Gallery oda (NGC) features text messages that scroll on an electronic sign. Initially the texts were in English only. Later, in agreement with the institution, the artist incorporated a French translation in order to reflect Canada’s bilingual nature. During the recent restoration of the work, a deontological question arose when the artist asked to amend two of the messages. Changes of this sort modify the viewer experience and alter the work’s historical record, so they can be problematif Canac for museums, whose mandate is to preserve the work’s integrity. In this case, however, the NGC consented.