This article complements a series of others by the same author on the restoration of modern art published in <i>Maltechnik/Restauro. It is a long, documented (41 references, sometimes giving several sources), illustrated paper (152 photographs) in which facts and ideas are given concerning the conservation, preservation and reconstruction of decaying art objects. The author shows that ruins, decay and destruction have been a pan of creative artistic efforts in the past (Duerer's ruins, artificial ruins of the Roccoco, etc. and the Galerie Ton ). Some artists, by their own testimony, expected time and age to complete their work. To what extent should such art objects which have destruction built into their construction, such as self-destructing sculpture, wrappings by Christo, partially destroyed houses by Matta Clark, and self-portraits made in chocolate by Dieter Rot, be returned to their previous condition? Great demands are made on the conservator of modern art for correct interpretation of objects made from burnt and torn linen and molding paper as by Oberhuber, Gilbert and Vostell. What amount of molding and destruction is the correct form of the art object? Is the conservation of such art desirable and desired by the artist? Appropriately, the last illustrations of the article show the artist Richard Kriesche shooting at his own image on closed circuit T. V. thereby signifying the ultimate destruction of the image, and making any attempt to repeat it utterly impossible. See also 14-994 and 995. -- AATA