Restoration
Sometimes it is sheer necessity – as in the case of Cuban painters whose pictures never dry out because they have mixed their oil paints with gasoline for lack of turpentine. Sometimes it is also the carefree attitude of contemporary artists when testing out techniques or simply the variety of materials that present the restoration team of the Aachen Ludwig Forum with enormous challenges.
How do you restore plastic bags? Which solvents separate without destroying? How do you clean patent leather that’s stuck together by leaking plasticizers? After a careful inventory, Julia Rief, Christina Sodermanns and Heinz Hanisch must thoroughly analyze which materials were used and how they may have reacted with each other.
In the process, they do significant research work that usually yields many new insights into a work of art. They consider how to repair the damage without violating the integrity of the work. And finally, they set about executing the chosen restoration concept. Selected restoration projects will exemplify the work of the team.
