LABORATORY OF RESTORATION II AND CHEMOMETRICS

The aim of the course is to provide the students with the knowledge and skills needed to assess the state of conservation of an artefact and to design the conservation and the restoration operations in a coherent manner. Through practical experience on objects of historical and cultural interest or the preparation of replicas in the laboratory, the students will have the opportunity to evaluate and test which products and technologies are suitable for the intervention. The performance of basic restoration operations offers the student the opportunity to put into practice the scientific skills and conservation techniques acquired in the previous courses. The laboratory has the prerogative of giving the student the opportunity to understand what means to intervene on an artifact and to control the results of the intervention. The course aims to increase the student's critical ability to develop an intervention/diagnostic project on an object, to develop basic skills for evaluating the adequate products and in particular to read and understand the cultural good in its different aspects.Particular attention will also be paid to understanding the critical importance of the data for the evaluation of the state of preservation, of the analytical data aimed at statistical and cultural discrimination.

Knowledge and Understanding
Know and evaluate the object's state of preservation, degradation processes, and their origin
Know how to intervene on the object by assessing which technologies and materials are the most suitable case by case
Understanding the connection between theoretical aspects of conservation and practical intervention on an artifact
Understanding the possible diagnostic techniques suitable for the study of the object and its degradation processes.
Know the basic operations of a restoration (e.g. cleaning, consolidation) and their implications and needs

Applying knowledge and understanding
Ability to perform a correct analysis of an artifact and its state of preservation
Ability to write and propose a restoration and diagnostic project
Ability to assess which are the most suitable restoration operations and/or products
Ability to use the theoretical and technical-scientific skills acquired in other courses
Ability to perform basic restoration tasks
Ability to critically evaluate the most appropriate technologies and restoration operations

Basic knowledge of inorganic and organic chemistry, the chemistry of cultural heritage and art materials, basic diagnostic techniques for the study of cultural heritage. These are contents and theoretical competencies that the student, who is regularly enrolled in the academic course, has already acquired in the previous years.

The course will deal mainly with the restoration of stone artefacts and/or traditional frescoes and plasters, also based on the preparation of wall paintings or replicas in the laboratory by the students. The practical part will be supported by theoretical lessons and, when possible, diagnostic investigations. The final aim of the course will be to give to the students the ability to perform a detailed and accurate description of the state of conservation of the object, articulate a restoration, and propose the appropriate diagnostic analysis for the study of the artefacts.

Lesson notes, lectures and texts related to the experiences are provided during the course. English and Italian textbooks/bibliography are available mostly at the library of Area Scientifica (BAS) at the Campus in Via Torino (Venezia-Mestre).

Mora P., et al. La conservazione delle pitture murali, Editrice Compositori
Matteini M. et al. La Chimica nel Restauro - I materiali dell’arte pittorica
Campanella L. et al. Chimica per l’arte, Zanichelli
Caneva G. et al. Vol 1: Biodeterioramento e conservazione, Nardini Editore
Montagnana G. I pigmenti:prontuario per l’arte e il restauro, Nardini Editore
Lazzarini L. et al. Il restauro della pietra, Utet Scienze Tecniche
Pinna D., et al. Controllo del degrado biologico, Nardini Editore
Amoroso A., Trattato di conservazione, ALinea Ed.
Derrick M. R. et al. Infrared spectroscopy in conservation science, The Getty Conservation Institute
Matteini M. et al. Scienza e restauro : metodi di indagine, Nardini Editore

The learning assessment includes a multiple-choice test on the topics covered in the course, an oral interview on the teaching material delivered during the course and the critical discussion of a report prepared by the students in group, about the practical experiences made and a topic of choice related to the course program. The topic for further study is selected after discussion with the teacher.
The oral test will be marked by a thirtieths vote.

Frontal lecture and practical laboratory with critical discussion in groups of individual experiences.

The course is held in Italian, in case of Erasmus students it is possible to use English.

written and oral