Artists continue to experiment with methods and materials to express their concepts, concerns and emotions. This is most apparent in contemporary art. For instance, the used of ephemeral materials and time-based media is now the norm. no one can tell which methods and materials will be involved in future art-making. In the process, conservation and documentation methods also evolve alongside the experimental nature of contemporary art. In this article, we explore some of contemporary art’s new methods and materiality. Our discussion draws from the artworks of the Future Proof contemporary art exhibition by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) which was held in 2012. We examine some of the challenges of conserving and documenting these works. In particular, our case studies are Robert Zhao’s If a Tree Falls in the Forest and Vertical Submarine’s A View with a Room. Our emphasis is on the importance of collaboration between conservator, artist, curator and collections manager in preserving contemporary art.