MMCA working group interim meeting: Conserving Outdoor Painted Sculpture

The Modern Materials and Contemporary Art (MMCA) working group of ICOM-CC will hold its Interim meeting Conserving Outdoor Painted Sculpture at the KröllerMüller Museum, Netherlands, on June 4th and 5th, 2013

Download the proceedings here.

Outdoor Painted Sculpture (OPS) presents complex conservation challenges. Works are exposed to uncontrolled environments, such as intense light/UV radiation and adverse weather conditions, as well as accidental damage or vandalism. And yet it is typically expected for the painted surface to stay in near-pristine condition. This is usually guided by the wish to preserve the original aesthetic qualities of the sculpture and to provide optimal protection to the substrate, in particular when it is metal that has to be protected from corrosion.

Conservation treatments on OPS often involve the full repainting of the sculpture, which is regularly preceded by the removal of all earlier coats of paint. The aim of this meeting is to discuss the current issues, approaches and methods used for conserving OPS. It is hoped that the meeting will provide an opportunity for dialogue both within the conservation community, and with others, such as the paint industry, fabricators, curators and artists’ estate, foundations and studios. The Kröller-Müller Museum has a large collection of outdoor sculptures with more than 150 works exhibited in its sculpture garden, and as such will provide the perfect setting for the meeting. There will be an opportunity to view the collection, including works under discussion at the meeting.

Venue:

Kröller-Müller Museum

(KMM)

Houtkampweg 6

6731 AW Otterlo

The Netherlands

www.kmm.nl