INCCA hosted the third INCCA Café: Student and Early Career Research on the 3rd of October 2024, focusing on the conservation of works by artists who work with the natural world and its materiality as well as artworks made from industrial materials that are situated outdoors.
Aurora Cairoli began the Café by summarising her PhD on the study and development of methodologies and materials used for the conservation of outdoor contemporary mural paintings in small Italian villages. This was followed by Rosemie Coppens’ presentation of her research into the preservation of weathering steel sculpture, in particular the conservation and restoration of vulnerable patinas. Case studies included outdoor works by Richard Serra. Marta Collado Barcina discussed the difficulties in treating, installing and preserving the artwork of June Papineau, detailing how her time spent working and living with the artist helped her successfully conserve the multimedia artwork Goyesca (el grito). The presentations concluded with Dea Moreno’s study on the treatment of Chlorophyll printed artworks, detailing the printing technique, common issues with the prints, and how her research could help to preserve them.
Questions following the presentations allowed the speakers to discuss with the 25 participants more freely the challenges, limitations, and practicalities of their research, such as the unpredictability of nature and the climate, as well as their aims for future research. Their talks demonstrated how important it is to continue to share ideas within the conservation community to help expand our knowledge on the treatment of complex contemporary artworks.
Find the speakers' bio here.
Photo: Screenshot of INCCA Café: Student & Early Career Research pt.3.