Research

Art, provenance & the stories we carry

I'm currently completing a Master's, exploring how we preserve the stories, histories and connections that give artworks their meaning.

When an artwork leaves an artist's hands, it begins a life of its own. It might pass through galleries, collectors and exhibitions before eventually finding its way into new hands. Along the way, important information can be lost: who made it, where it came from, the stories behind its creation and the people who have cared for it.

I'm interested in how better records and systems could help that information travel with the artwork, supporting artists, improving transparency, and keeping a piece's cultural value intact as it moves through the market, while still respecting privacy and ownership along the way.

I'd love to hear from you.

As part of this research and to potentially contribute to my thesis and final product development, I'm speaking with artists, gallerists, collectors, curators and others involved in the art world.

Whether you have experience managing artworks, thoughts on provenance and resale, or simply an interesting perspective to share, I'd love to have a conversation.

I'm also grateful for any introductions, recommendations or reading that might help inform the research.

If you'd like to contribute or find out more, please get in touch at research@rachelmataira.com.

This research proposal has been extensively reviewed and critiqued, and has received ethics approval (Ethics Approval Number: MTF.8206.355) to engage in these public conversations. All correspondence sent to research@rachelmataira.com is received only by Rachel, and any data collected is carefully managed and will be disposed of once the thesis and accompanying work are completed.