Hanna Barbara Hölling

Dr. Hanna Barbara Hölling is a Research Professor at Bern University of the Arts and Honorary Fellow at University College London. She specializes in art history, material and heritage studies, and conservation, with a focus on American and European art since the 1960s.

• Current Roles: Project Lead for SNSF-funded research initiatives (Natureculture Lab, Activating Fluxus), Coordinator of the Contemporary Art and Media research field.
• Prior Academic Affiliations: Associate Professor at UCL, Andrew W. Mellon Visiting Professor at Bard Graduate Center, guest lecturer at University of Amsterdam and Harvard University.

Research Interests encompass two interconnected strands:

• 1960s–70s Art: Film, video, installation, and performative practices in material and cultural contexts.
• Conservation as Critical Practice: Ethics of care, institutionalization of conservation, and naturecultures frameworks for ecological-cultural challenges.

Article Trends reflect her expertise in performance/media art conservation, Fluxus studies, and care ethics. Key themes include transitional media, dynamic materiality, and post-preservation theories.

Scientific Awards include:

• Andrew W. Mellon Visiting Professorship (2013–15)
• Terra Foundation Fellowship (2019–20)
• Getty Conservation Scholarship (2016–17)
• NWO PhD Fellowship (2009–13)
• Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Advising spans PhD theses on environmental justice, performance conservation, and digital heritage. She leads labs like Natureculture Lab and Performance: Conservation, Materiality, Knowledge, addressing climate-art intersections.