Museum Conservation and the Forensis of Provenance

Presented on Monday, Mar 31, 2025, Paul Basu, professor of anthropology and curator, Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford, draws upon various case studies to rethink provenance research, shifting our attention from the forensic investigation into the origins and chains of ownership of objects to a relational process, which brings together a community of stakeholders and perspectives. The word “forensic” derives from the Latin forensis, meaning, of the forum. On the one hand, this shift decenters museum-based expertise; on the other hand, however, it opens up possibilities for contemporary conservation practice to contribute in new ways to ethical reflection, not least in destabilizing our understanding of what an object is, where it comes from, and fostering communities of care. The lecture is followed by a panel discussion with Erica Jones, Senior Curator of African Arts and Manager of Curatorial Affairs at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, and Glenn Wharton, Professor of Art History and Conservation of Material Culture, Chair of the UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage. The panel discussion was moderated by GCI archaeologist and archaeological conservator Dr. Ana Pastor Perez. This presentation contributes to the ongoing discourse on the perception of collections, the evolving role of museums and museum professionals, and challenges conventional approaches to collections care—principles that guide the work of the Collections Department. For more information visit the Collections Department page: https://gty.art/gci-collections