Historical buildings impacted by the 2021 floods in Belgium, and churches in particular, took several years to dry. In the meantime, mould developed on the furniture and became a recurring phenomenon in some places, where climate control was not possible and the maintenance limited. The project RE-MOLD, elaborated at KIK-IRPA, was an attempt to design new eco-friendly methods to keep control of recurring mould for non-professional users such as parishioners.
The Domaine de recherche et d’innovation majeur (DIM) Patrimoines matériels – innovation, expérimentation, résilience (PAMIR) is the Ile-de-France research network dedicated to the study of heritage sciences. In 2022, the ‘Research and Restoration’ working group was set up within the DIM with the aim of developing mechanisms to meet the funding needs of conservators’ research and the organisation of events to promote these actions. The purpose of this article is to present these initiatives and report on the themes and discussions held as part of two half-day conferences and round tables organised in 2023 and 2024.
This work presents the characterization of the pigments in the painting by Prayat Pongdam, one of the most essential artists in the history of Thai contemporary art. The painting that was studied is named “Cats and Birds (1957),” oil on board, from the collection of a private collector. XRF measurements were carried out utilizing a portable system and mapping scanning. XRF revealed substantial information about the pigments in the painting and the artist’s technique. Lead white (Pb) was presented in or near the ground layer. A mixture of barium (Ba) and titanium (Ti) was applied in almost all areas but less in the blue areas, presumably because these two pigments were used on top of the ground layer. Zinc (Zn) white was mixed with the cerulean blue (Co, Sn) for the blue regions. Chromium-based green (Cr) and red ochre (Fe) were in the palette in green and red areas, respectively. A layer of gold was applied to some areas, assuming the artist wanted to make it a highlight. Metallic pigments containing copper (Cu) were also revealed.
The study of White Rock Line, an artwork by Richard Long dating from 1990, was entrusted to us in December 2011 by the CAPC, museum of contemporary art in Bordeaux. This was a first, comparative, study, looking at two possible options, restore or remake. In addition, the feasability and costing of the operations on work comprising 18 tonnes of stone 40 metres in length was necessary. This study used a sample of around ten original stones and the same number of newly harvested ones, with cleaning tests followed by « laboratory » experiments on the persistance and traces of the active products.
In this interview, the authors (two curator-restorers at the Musée d'ethnographie in Geneva, and a museology researcher) examine museum conservation practices and their aims in the light of the means employed and their sometimes unexpected effects. While chemical treatments of collections were intended to stabilise the material condition of artefacts, their toxic effect on professionals, the objects themselves and the public concerned was often not taken into account when they were used. From a broader decolonisation perspective, the question arises as to how conservation-restoration can help to move beyond unilateral decision-making on the part of museum professionals to ensure that the choices of the people and communities concerned are heard and prioritised.
The replicas of experiments or facsimiles are options that are frequently used in valorising musical heritage. Nonetheless, the notion of musical authenticity is quite complex and reconstructing as best one can an instrument is insufficient to bring a sound back to life. If the potential sounds can be understood, sound quality is much more subjective. The question will be treated here using a variety of modern and contemporary musical instruments, including a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, Martenot Waves and a Max Mathews aluminium violin.
Le term remake has only been used relatively recently in debates surrounding the conservation and restoration of contemporary art. The status of the « remade » work is not always very clear, wavering between exhibition copy, duplicate and reconstitution, depending on the author of the remake and the context of the reproduction.
Exposed to the climates for more than twenty years, White Rock Line gradually became « naturally » grey. This meant that it no longer conformed to the definition given to the sculpture in 1990; a line of white stones forming a sculpture 40 metres long and 1 metre 50 centimetres wide. After studying several restoration options, the substitution of the 18 tonnes of limestone is envisaged and approved of by the artist in the folowing terms : « I share your idea of remaking the piece with new stones from the original quarry. »
The conservation of Time Based Media (TBM) artwork deals in the world of bits, bytes, checksums and obsolescence, terms far different from the conservation of paper, paintings or sculpture. The processes behind the conservation of TBM artworks reflect the same esoteric nature. This case study seeks to show the advantages and challenges of creating a bespoke TBM-specific workflow by highlighting its efficacy in preempting a potentially large conservation issue in The Mercurial Inscription, an TBM installation artwork with software and interactive elements.
This article presents the symposium “What's in a name? Le conservateur-restaurateur: une définition”, held on April 11, 2024 at the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris to mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of the text ‘Le conservateur-restaurateur: une définition de la profession’ at the 7th ICOM-CC triennial in Copenhagen. It provides the reader with links to the video recordings, as well as a summary transcript of the speeches, round tables and exchanges with the audience.
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Mexico's political and social context has influenced a body of performance artworks rich in activist connotations, full of black humor and references to the violence and injustice surrounding. How do we, conservators, find ourselves implicated in these dynamics that involve creativity and sensibility arising in the face of chance of collective memory? This text revisits some considerations on the treatment and conservation of these very specific works, decanted to the movements of Latin American artistic autonomy, and which in a consensus between specialists and artists, may find in orality and “assisted” disappearance a chance to ensure their perpetuity.
Each anniversary of the Venice Charter (1964) gives rise to numerous events around the world. However, many of the issues that currently shape the global heritage landscape are absent from the document, which was drafted in a context very different from our own. This article reflects on the reasons behind the persistent attachment to this charter, with its generalist and universalist ambitions, at a time when a holistic approach to heritage is expected to emerge from fragmented knowledge. After examining the specific historical moment in which the document was written, the text considers the challenges of applying it in a context marked by the expansion of the heritage field and the increasing globalization of debates. The article concludes by examining the Charter's continued relevance as a point of reference and offering concrete avenues for constructive reflection.
This article explores the fundamental question in conservation-restoration: for whom and why do we preserve art? The motivations for conserving cultural heritage evolve over time, influenced more by sociocultural contexts than by established theories. The concept of "care" is examined as a potential approach to refocus conservation on cultural beneficiaries and their changing needs, while also considering both the material and conceptual dimensions of artworks.The article traces the historical impact of 19th-century industrialization, which democratized access to art and transformed conservation practices, but also led to increased commodification. This commercialization altered the relationship between art, its creators, and its audience, devaluing cultural assets by reducing them to market objects.Modern collectors, often disengaged from the deep involvement once required, have shifted the responsibility for conservation to public institutions, thereby weakening collective responsibility for preserving cultural heritage. In response to these changes, the article advocates for a reevaluation of conservation practices, emphasizing the importance of restoring an ethical and aesthetic connection with artworks. This approach would ensure that artworks are transmitted not merely as marketable objects but as living heritage, rich with cultural and social significance, in a context increasingly dominated by market logic.
This article discusses the significance of certain replicas in museums, focusing on medieval seal impressions from the ‘Hallepoort’ collection at the Royal Military Museum in Brussels, Belgium. We highlight a shift from traditional imprinting methods to casting with plaster and sulphur in the late 19th and early 20th centuries An analysis by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage confirmed sulphur’s presence, highlighting conservation challenges due to its flammability and potential to cause chemical reactions that could damage surrounding objects. In response, measures such as fire safety protocols, controlled temperature and humidity, and better ventilation are implemented to protect the casts.
This research aims to apply and evaluate the effectiveness of the QuiskScan method on the ecclesiastical assets of the Parish of Santo Domingo in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz, Spain). The objectives are to test the viability of the method in a non-museum environment, assess the loss of value through a global evaluation of the different typologies present in the parish and determine which are more vulnerable to the identified risks. Using the risk analysis methodology applied in museums, an Excel matrix is used to assign values and assess vulnerability to agents of deterioration, the result of which is to determine the level of risk and whether this methodology is effective in assessing as another agent the ‘cult function’ they perform, which is crucial for this category of property.
This article presents the symposium “What’s in a name? The conservator-restorer: a definition”, held on April 11, 2024 at the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris to mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of the definition of the profession “The conservator: a definition of the profession” during icom-cc’s 7th triennial held in copenhagen in 1984. It provides the reader with a summarised transcript of the speeches, round-table discussions and exchanges with the audience. As the symposium was broadcast live online and recorded with simultaneous French-English translation, the entire day's proceedings can also be viewed by following these links:
This article retraces the questions asked of a restorer given the task of treating an obsolescent lighting system during the restoration of two Mobiles lumineux (Luminous Modules) by Nino Calos (1926-1990) in the collection of the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Amongst other questions, these include the methodology, the techniques of intervention and the decision strategies employed in the study and restoration of thees lumino-kinetic works of art.
This conservation-restoration project for Proposal for a New American Agriculture by Claire Pentecost, conducted in 2021-2022, fostered interdisciplinary dialogue between Claire Valageas (49 Nord 6 Est - Frac Lorraine), Chloé Barle (a student in textile arts conservation-restoration), and the artist herself. By combining their perspectives, this collaboration allowed for a conservation approach addressing the work’s presentation, reception, and the preservation of its material and conceptual integrity.
The article focuses on the realization of the “Plafones” series by contemporary artist Gabriel de la Mora, whose creative process integrates ancient ceilings with the expertise of a conservator.
