Altered States: the social biographies of works of art. She Loved to Breathe - Pure Silence (1987-2012) by Zarina Bhimji

This essay considers a single work by the artist Zarina Bhimji, entitled She Loved to Breathe--Pure Silence, 1987, in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. This art work is comprised of four panels, each containing two photographs, fine muslin fabric, and in one, a pair of surgical gloves. Proposing that works of art have 'social lives', the essay examines the changes that have taken place over time to the condition of the work, and the conservation strategies which have been devised for it, especially those for its display at the artist's major retrospective at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in 2012. The essay tracks the artwork's passage through varied locations and the potential impact of these spaces on its social life. The essay concludes by exploring the extent to which transformations to the work's material condition and appearance, as well as changing social and historical contexts, may effect responses and interpretations.

Published in Italian: 'Stati d'alterazione: mappare la vita sociale delle opere d'arte - She Loved to Breathe - Pure Silence (1987-2012) di Zarina Bhimji