KONS1000

Autumn 2009

Answer three questions, choosing one question from each section.

Give examples where appropriate.

You can answer either in Norwegian or English.

Section 1.

1.Conservation plays an important role in ensuring that historical objects are preserved for future generations. Describe the typical activities associated with this role and purpose within the museum context.

2. “Conservation is the management of change”. Explain what is meant by this statement giving examples where you can.

Section 2.

3.A curator comes to you, the conservator, with an object in need of conservation and asks for a treatment proposal. How would you go about gathering the information needed to write this proposal?

4.Which (conflicting) requirements need to be balanced at historical sites when considering access for tourists/visitors, and the measures that can be put in place to limit damage/deterioration?

Section 3.

5.The conservation profession is regulated by a framework of ethical standards and principles. Discuss the role of the ethical framework and why it needs to be revised periodically.

6.Discuss the meaning of ’stewardship’ with regards to museum collections and give examples of situations where such an approach might result in actions that differ from those carried out by someone who considers themselves to be the owner.

This is subject to change in the syllabus and/or the form of exam since these exams were given.


Earlier exams is given in english from spring 2008.

Autumn 2008
Answer three questions, choosing one question from each section.
Give examples where appropriate.
You can answer either in Norwegian or English.

Section 1.

1.Conservation plays an important role in ensuring that historical objects are preserved for future generations. Describe this role, illustrating your answer with typical activities associated with the care of cultural heritage within a museum context.

2.Objects are often described as having ‘lives’. What is meant by this. Describe why it is important to have an understanding of an objects biography before one starts to conserve the object.

Section 2.

3.Describe how you would approach the examination of an object in need of conservation. Take into account the different sources and methods that you would use and their potential and limitations.

4.Which (conflicting) requirements need to be balanced at historical sites when considering access for tourists/visitors, and what type of measures can be put in place to limit damage/deterioration?


Section 3.

5.There are many sources of potential damage to historic objects within a museum environment. Describe the more common threats and suggest how preventive conservation could provide protection.

6.Discuss the meaning of ’stewardship’ with regards to museum collections and give examples of situations where such an approach will differ from that of an owner.

Spring 2008
Answer three questions, choosing one question from each section.
Give examples where appropriate.

Group 1


1.Discuss why historic objects are preserved, how the attitude to preservation has changed throughout history and how these attitudes might have influenced the treatment of some objects.

2.Nowadays the conservation profession is regulated by a strict code of ethics. Explain why conservator-restorers didn’t have a code of ethics before the 19th century and how its introduction influenced the way historic objects have been treated within a museum collection.


Group 2


3.You have been asked to carry out the examination of an object. Describe how you would approach this task, the type of sources of information that you would use and the bias that these sources might contain.

4.In a conservation process one often needs to balance the different demands made by different groups of people on historic artefacts. Discuss this statement with respect to working-objects.


Group 3


5.In 1984 Gael de Guichen stated that: ‘The best way that humanity has yet devised to destroy the objects they value is to put them in a museum’. Explain this statement and suggest preventive measures that one can take to limit this damage.

6.Discuss the meaning of ’stewardship’ with regards to museum collections and give examples of situations where the approach of stewardship will differ from that of an owner.

Autumn 2007
Svar på tre spørsmål ved å velge ett spørsmål fra hver gruppe.
Gi eksempler der det passer.

Gruppe 1:

1)Konservering av kunst- og kulturhistoriske gjenstander innebærer varierte oppgaver. Definer konservering og beskriv de typer virksomhet som konservatorer utfører ved ivaretakelse av samlinger.

2)Hvordan kan vi si at det er en forskjell mellom historie og kulturarv? Beskriv hovedtrekkene i hvordan kulturarven har blitt ivaretatt. Inkluder de ulike og skiftende oppfatninger av konservering i ditt svar.

Gruppe 2:

3)Gjenstander utgjør en hovedkilde for informasjon om fortiden. Beskriv hva slags opplysninger man kan få fra historiske gjenstander, og hvordan du vil gå frem for å få denne informasjonen.

4)Hvilke (motstridende) krav må balanseres i en historisk by med adgang for turister/besøkende, og hvilke beskyttende tiltak kan iverksettes for å begrense skader/nedbrytning?

Gruppe 3:

5)Hva innebærer forebyggende (preventiv) konservering og diskuter hvordan det kan
anvendes i en museumskontekst.


6)Faget konservering er regulert av strenge etiske regler (code of ethics). Forklar hvorfor dette er nødvendig, og hvordan det påvirker behandlingen av historiske objekter i en museumssamling.

Published May 5, 2009 12:25 PM - Last modified Mar. 19, 2010 12:22 PM