Conservation News, December 2023

Gala Porras-Kim, the Living Collection

Conceptual artist Gala Porras-Kim, Getty’s Artist in Residence from 2020 to 2022, is the subject of the latest film in our Artist Dialogues series, which engages L.A. artists in conversations exploring their art, materials, fabrication processes, and working methods, as well as their thoughts on conservation.

Watch on our YouTube channel

Old Cities, New Challenges 2024 Workshop

April 17–June 22, 2024

An eight-week online workshop for urban conservation in Southeast Asia

Application now open

To help advance urban conservation practice in Southeast Asia, we are again partnering with Think City Institute to offer our online course for urban planners, architects, and associated urban conservation professionals from Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries.

The course will follow the Historic Urban Landscape approach and will examine methodologies, practical tools, and techniques for the conservation of historic places. In addition to the online workshop, there is the potential for an onsite case study later in 2024.

Read details and apply online via the Think City Institute Website

Deadline to apply is January 10, 2024.

The Future of Earthen Heritage Conservation

In early December, we brought together an international cohort of 30 experts to discuss the future of earthen heritage conservation.

Organized as part of our Earthen Architecture Initiative and under the aegis of the Icomos International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage, this meeting aimed to define common strategic directions in the earthen heritage conservation field, develop thoughtful responses to its current challenges, and foster mutual learning between conservation professionals.

See photos and read more about the meeting on our Facebook page

German Democratic Plastics in Design

Senior Research Specialist Anna Laganà and Associate Scientist Joy Mazurek met with colleagues at Die Neue Sammlung to investigate plastics as part of the collaborative German Democratic Plastics in Design, which focuses on plastic design objects from the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

The extent to which industrial production processes and manufacturing technologies influence both the long-term properties of mass-produced plastic objects and their condition has hardly been investigated in the conservation field.

This project, which aims to close this gap, identified the GDR—a temporally and geographically closed area and cultural economic system with groundbreaking plastics production—as a significant example for this research.

Treatment Strategies for Outdoor Painted Sculpture Workshop

In October, conservators from all over the world arrived at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Netherlands, to attend the five-day workshop Treatment Strategies for Outdoor Painted Sculpture, a collaboration between the Conservation Institute and the Kröller-Müller Museum.

Through lectures, site visits, practical exercises, and group activities, participants were introduced to: coating failures, safety and sustainability practices, paint systems for different environments, skills for local retouching and graffiti removal, how to work with the paint industry and artists estates, and more.

Seismic Retrofitting Project

This fall, we have been working at Ica Cathedral, Peru, one of the case studies of the Seismic Retrofitting Project, conducting the condition assessment of the timber elements of the church, using resistography, boroscopy, and visual analysis. After investigating the structure of pillars and arches in previous campaigns, we are now focusing on vaults and domes.

We also recently visited Lima, Peru, and had the opportunity to know the work of PROlima (Programa para la Recuperación del Centro Histórico de Lima). PROlima was created after the historic center was inscribed in the World Heritage List. Their staff takes care of over 7,000 buildings in the Peruvian capital.

Challenging the Narrative Symposium

Challenging the Narrative: Conservation and Replication of Immersive Artworks, took place in Munich in November. This collaboration with Haus der Kunst was held within the framework of the exhibition Inside Other Spaces. Environments by Women Artists 1956-1976, curated by Marina Pugliese and Andrea Lissoni, for Haus der Kunst.

The one-day event brought together art historians, curators, conservators, scientists and artists from around the world and addressed the possibilities, challenges, and questions regarding conservation and replication of immersive artworks, defined as installations in the late 1970s. Given their experimental and/or site-specific nature, most Environments were destroyed after display.

Bronze Patination Workshop

Bronze sculpture cast at a foundry is often treated with chemical solutions to alter the bright, golden color of the metal. This surface treatment, which can produce a range of colors, is referred to as a “patina.” In an outdoor environment, these patinas can change over time or become damaged, and conservators are frequently called upon to maintain or restore the original appearance of a sculpture.

In collaboration with the Getty Museum, we recently hosted a three-day advanced workshop on the patination of bronze sculpture. The participants—specialists in outdoor sculpture conservation— practiced a variety of colors and effects that can be produced using a limited number of solutions and pigments. The workshop also discussed treatment strategies ranging from localized repairs to complete repatination.

The Mysteries of Early Photography

Two 19th-century photographers beat the odds and kept their photographs from quickly fading or darkening—but how?

Read the full story

Lightning in a Bottle

Chances are you’ve seen the unmistakable glow of a neon sign.

But what happens when artworks made with neon begin to fade or break?

In this Becoming Artsy episode, Jessie Hendricks goes inside the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, California to learn more about the neon artmaking process. She then visits Getty conservators to find out how they’re creating a set of standards for conserving neon art.

Watch this episode

In case you missed it, read the related article Shining a Light on Neon.

Fall Issue, Conservation Perspectives

The Changing Landscape for Collections

This edition examines how the landscape in the care and presentation of cultural heritage collections is changing and the implications of those changes for conservation.

In the issue’s feature article, Alison Heritage of ICCROM focuses on strategic foresight and how the cultural heritage sector and the conservation field can use it to anticipate and respond to evolving needs by incorporating approaches, tools, and skills that help envision possible futures.

Download your free copy

New in the Conservation Collection

New additions to the Conservation Collection include books about color chemistry, art and ethics, historic building conservation, Roman architecture, Italian Renaissance art, Westminster Palace, and the conservation of artists’ houses in France, as well as a conservator’s memoir. 

See the full list of new titles

USModernist Radio Podcast Features Chandler McCoy

The USModernist podcast recently featured Chandler McCoy, architect and project manager of our Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative (CMAI).

In this episode he discusses CMAI’s work with the Eames House over the years, as well as his career before joining Getty.

Listen to the full episode (#324) 

Susan Macdonald Delivers 2023 Annual Maura Shaffrey Memorial Lecture

In November, Susan Macdonald, head of Buildings and Sites, delivered the 2023 Annual Maura Shaffrey Memorial Lecture for members of ICOMOS Ireland.  She addressed “Conserving Twentieth Century Heritage for an Equitable, Sustainable Future.”  

Watch the lecture on YouTube

Project Manager, Arches Project

We are seeking a highly-motivated, self-directed and organized information technology professional to support the Arches Project, an open source data-management platform providing a robust suite of software tools for a broad range of data-management needs of the international cultural heritage community. 

Learn more and apply by January 2, 2024

Project Specialist, Wall Paintings Conservation

We are seeking a conservation professional with experience in the conservation of wall paintings and architectural surfaces, and a keen interest in research, documentation, practical conservation, and training.

Learn more and apply by January 17, 2024