In this article we highlight the wide range of synthetic and natural materials used in the artworks which make up our recent heritage and we also emphasise the fact that these materials should not always be conserved. We offer a classification of materials found in contemporary works and their stratigraphic distribution, in order to explain the composition of some representative works. Identifying the materials which contemporary artists are in fact using is the first step towards being able to study the future behaviour of the works, and scientific analysis of them. Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that the artist’s intention may require the restorer to witness the disappearance of a work, and therefore we discuss the theoretical adaptation needed to intervene in and conserve contemporary art.