The Ethics of Dust

Citation

Morgan J (2016) The Ethics of Dust. Heritage Futures [Website Blog] 31.08.2016. https://www.heritage-futures.org/the-ethics-of-dust/

Abstract
First paragraph: This month (August 2016) I visited Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster (a UNESCO world heritage site) to see The Ethics of Dust. Commissioned and produced by Artangel, this exhibition by artist Jorge Otero-Pailos consists of a 50-meter long and 6–meter high latex cast of the east wall, generated from a restoration to remove surface pollution. By spraying and then gently peeling off latex, Otero-Pailos has given the Hall a facial. And, like all good facials, it has renewed through a thorough cleanse by lifting over 900 years of accumulated dirt, dust, soot, and grime from the limestone wall. The resulting cast, embedded with this dirt and gently glowing from natural- and spot-lighting, hangs suspended from the roof adjacent to the east wall.

People

Dr Jennie Morgan

Senior Lecturer in Heritage, History