2012-05 Modern And Contemporary Murals

Conceptual, material and technical issues surround the production of mural paintings in the 20th  and 21st  centuries.  Graffiti, community mural paintings, the use of materials from industry, the new approaches in the ways in which buildings are conceived, the constant transformation of  public space. All this diversity creates a new scenario that imposes specific considerations regarding the study, documentation, treatment and preservation of such particular artworks.

• Materials of contemporary murals:  history, current technology, future improvements (graffitis, ceramic murals, silicate paints, synthetic temperas, acrylic smalts, mural canvases....etc).
• The question of  “value”  and how it applies to murals
• Muralism and anthropology: the community’s role
• Understanding modern and contemporary wall paintings and their conservation needs
• The philosophy behind conservation of modern and contemporary paintings: minimal intervention vs. non-intervention
• Case studies of traditional-vs-unorthodox treatments in mural paintings
• Other topics related.
  

The aim of this conference is to provide a forum for artists, curators, conservators, and all those involved in the conservation and restoration of modern and contemporary mural paintings to discuss questions such as:

• Should graffiti murals be considered as enduring work?
• Can artists and conservators collaborate to make their works Last as long as possible?
• Who is responsible for the conservation of ‘community murals’?
• What role do artists play in their preservation? Is repainting a valid alternative?
• What about the change in context of those murals removed from the location they were created for?
• Do we know exactly what materials artists use in their production? What are the interactions between the modern materials that form the structure of these works?
• Why do they often age so quickly?
• How to preserve outdoor murals subjected to extreme environmental conditions?