All art, be it a centuries-old canvas or a contemporary mixed-media artwork, is vulnerable to storage-specific risks. For this reason, art owners must take proper care of organizing conservation-grade storage or choosing a storage provider that guarantees advanced risk control. This guide explores short-term vs. long-term art storage risks to outline key priorities for storage selection.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Art Storage Risks, Compared
Most art storage risks pertain to storage of any duration. Yet, the depth and scale of their impact depend on the period art spends in storage. That’s why some risk categories take priority over others in specific cases.
Environmental Risks
This risk category includes temperature and relative humidity fluctuations, microclimate changes, moisture intrusion, and air contamination with particulates. Impact on art during short-term storage manifests itself in the form of excursions during art moving, condensation of moisture when art handlers transfer cold objects into warm rooms, and urban pollution effects. When it comes to long-term storage, the environmental effects accumulate and deepen damage, causing:
- fatigue from repeated material contraction and expansion;
- elevated paint cracking risks;
- a chronic chemical attack resulting from prolonged artwork off-gassing.
If the environmental impact is left unaddressed, art may become prone to adhesive failure, corrosion, mold, and embrittlement.
Light and UV Exposure Risks
Art is often subjected to inspection, viewing, and staging in public spaces. Art objects are repeatedly photographed by mass media and interested viewers. While all these activities are part and parcel of a popular art object’s lifecycle, they also bear light and radiation risks. Even short-term storage in non-blackout spaces leads to sensitive media fading, while long-term storage without UV management can deepen the destructive effects on paints, pigments, and the carrier media (e.g., paper, textiles, and photographs).
Biological Risks
This risk category includes mold, insects, and pests. They are equally destructive for artwork in short-term and long-term storage, but the former allows quicker detection and restorative actions. If the artwork is exposed to high humidity and stays wrapped for a long time, its restoration from mold damage can be impossible. Pest or insect damage usually surfaces after long-term storage; artwork damage like this after a brief storage term is possible only in case of an overt pest management failure.
Key Takeaways: Risk Factor Analysis Is Time-Dependent
While most risks are universally relevant to art storage of any duration, they tend to accumulate over time. That’s why the analysis of short-term vs. long-term art storage risks should cover all aspects discussed above. Short-term storage failures are easier to detect upon a quick inspection of the storage site, while longer-term storage problems are more connected with poor protocols and policies.