Collection

REASON FOR INTERVENTION
 

The installation consists of a mural, comprising four fragments, made by Manuel S. Molezún in 1958, and recovered by Patricia Esquivias in 2016. Located in one of the balconies intervened by Manuel S. Molezún in a building on Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, it was removed and donated to CA2M by the artist, which was the reason for the intervention.
 

STATE OF CONSERVATION
 

Following an organoleptic examination of the pieces, it was ascertained that the state of conservation was less then optimum.
Both the support (brick and cement) as well as the ceramic tiles had deteriorated due to the location of the work outdoors, in contact with pollution and changing weather conditions like rain, wind and contrasts of heat and cold.
Once the mural was removed, with the tiles having been previously fixed with adhesive tape to avoid any of them falling off, part of the cement mortar was disaggregated which deteriorated the adhesiveness between it and the tiles and affected the visibility and integrity of the work.
 

TREATMENT UNDERTAKEN
 

The restoration was started with a process of surface cleaning where possible.
The consolidation of the support, the mural, and the fixation or adhesion of the tiles together with the elimination of the adhesives used during the phase of removal were the most delicate tasks.
Afterwards, the volumetric and chromatic reintegration of the tiles was undertaken.
As the final phase of the intervention, grout was added to recover the work’s original aesthetic and then finally a layer of protection was applied.

REASON FOR INTERVENTION

The sculpture under study is a metallic structure redolent of a truncated asymmetrical elevator.

The major concern was the deterioration of the asymmetrical structure caused primarily by its design, dimensions and the interplay of the different volumes and weights. This is further accentuated by the exhibition system, with its oblique inclination with respect to the wall and the fact that there are only two points of contact on which the work is supported.
 

STATE OF CONSERVATION

Some structural damage was observed in terms of deformation and damage to the material as well as active points of oxidation. The work was also affected by superficial damage in terms of accumulated dirt, environmental pollution, alteration of the layers of protection with whitish wax residues, losses, knocks and erosion.
 

TREATMENT UNDERTAKEN

After an initial cleaning of the whole sculpture, the deformations of the cross bracing were remedied.

Loose pieces were affixed with cold-welding using epoxy resins.

To strengthen the structure and provide the sculpture with greater stability, the system of anchoring the work was replaced and reinforced.

The treatment was concluded with the application of a final layer of protection.

REASON FOR INTERVENTION

When they were left on deposit in the Fundación Arco Collection at CA2M in 2014, conservation reports were drawn up on the works by Richard Serra, which are all individual pieces and not a triptych. It was immediately apparent that they all required restoration to prevent future problems in conservation.
 

The main reason for intervention was the noticeable damage, partly due to inadequate mounting. It is probable that when they were framed the oil had not completely dried, thus explaining why part of the paint had stuck to the perspex.
 

STATE OF CONSERVATION

The damage suffered was common to all the works: alterations in the layer of paint in terms of texture, lustre, surface dirt, damp stains on the bottom part, residue of oxidised adhesives, fingerprints on the white parts of the paper, and, more significantly, loss of adhesion between the layers of mounting (deformations, folds and blisters).
 

TREATMENT UNDERTAKEN

After dismounting the works, the surfaces were cleaned using soft brushes and gentle vacuuming. The stains were treated chemically or mechanically, depending on their origin. The adhesion between layers, blisters, were subject to different conservation criteria, given the delicacy of the operation. Some of them did not adversely affect the visual appearance of the work and did not pose a problem in terms of conservation so it was decided to only treat the most visible ones. The intervention was concluded with the chromatic and volumetric reintegration in damaged areas of the rigid support.

REASON FOR INTERVENTION

This work, a large format oil-on-canvas painting, was in need of restoration. As a consequence of a series of movements prior to entering the collection, the layer of paint had been adversely affected. Given the delicacy and the matte quality of the paint, the alterations were particularly visible and detracted from its appearance.
 

STATE OF CONSERVATION

Alterations in the support, deformations, damage to the layer of paint, surface dirt, fingerprints, erosion, losses of paint which reveal the underlying priming layer, and previous retouches which had altered the tone of the colour.
 

TREATMENT UNDERTAKEN

The intervention in the support consisted in eliminating the deformations caused by corner draws and loss of tension in the stretcher frame, with a risk of the linen fabric tearing in the corners. The original black perimeter tape was replaced wherever missing.
 

All stains were removed as far as possible and the layer of paint was reintegrated, which proved the most complex part of the process given the texture of the work.

REASON FOR INTERVENTION

This work, consisting of two elements, was made for the exhibition Una obra para un espacio, held at Canal de Isabel II in Madrid in 1987. Afterwards the two elements were stored separately in different locations, until the work was deposited in the collection.
 

The materials of which the work is made are most often the cause of alterations and/or deterioration. The reason for this intervention is the aging of the constituent materials, exasperated by exposure to inappropriate climatic factors at some period of time.
 

STATE OF CONSERVATION

The state of conservation of the two elements differed from one another. In the catalogue for the exhibition, the artist stated that he uses different kinds of material in making his works, perhaps insinuating that they would behave differently in the future, with the passing of time. The loss of patina and accumulated rust are the most notable alterations.
 

TREATMENT UNDERTAKEN

The aim of the restoration was to recover and unify the patina of the pieces. To this end, the elements were cleaned, after which a high percentage of the patina was uncovered. Inhibition of further corrosion was another main action.
 

The matte finish further underscores the different materials used, more saturated in the ‘A’ element than in the ‘K’.

REASON FOR THE INTERVENTION

The triptych, made up of three equal sections, has been part of the collection since 1996. It has been housed in different locations since it its creation in 1984, and its display at the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1985. These relocations, together with the consequent changes in the environmental conditions that this entailed, have led to a series of alterations being carried out on the work.

A decision to intervene was taken as these alterations put the stability of the work at risk: visitors were not seeing the artwork correctly due to the aesthetic distortions.

STATE OF CONSERVATION

The three canvases, each mounted individually on a frame, have become loose and deformed. Some of the tacks used to attach the canvases are missing and have been replaced with staples which leads us to believe that the artwork has undergone previous interventions in order to restore it and to re-stretch the canvases. The lower sections of all three canvases have suffered severe deterioration, and two tears on one of the canvases have been treated in a previous intervention. In addition, the paint layer – delicate, by nature – has disintegrated and there is paint loss especially in areas close to the lower edge.

TREATMENT CARRIED OUT

Following an interview with the artist and following the prior analysis of the artwork, the support has been stabilised with reinforcement strips, patches have been applied, and the canvas has been correctly stretched; the deformations have also been specifically treated.

A dry method was used to remove surface dirt in order to avoid damaging the paint layer or changing its appearance. The preparatory and paint layers were stabilised by consolidating them, and then reintegrated both physically and chromatically.

The various steps of the intervention made it possible to better understand the nature of the artwork and analyse its specificities for any future conservation to be carried out correctly.

REASON FOR THE REPAIRS

The sculpture consists of welded pieces taken from playground furniture. The top layer was painted by the artist.

The piece is part of a set created for the 9th Mercosul Biennial, Brazil, in 2013. It was later exhibited outdoors in Rio de Janeiro’s Botanical Garden. Then, it was moved to Spain, cut into fragments and welded back together upon arrival in order to be exhibited in the Sala Alcalá in 2019. Following the exhibition, it became a part of CA2M’s Collection and was kept on the rooftop for some time.

The material history of the piece, the various times it has been transported and exhibition conditions were considerations leading to its repair.

STATE OF CONSERVATION

Its state of conservation was fragile with damage to its structure caused by rusting that led to the loss of fragments and deformations, loss of metal welding and a weakening of the overall material. The pictorial layer also suffered damage due to dirt, stains, remains of adhesive tape, missing pieces and peeling layers of paint.

TREATMENT PERFORMED

The level of repairs to be carried out was agreed upon with the artist and with the institution, yet with the decision to leave some traces of the piece’s material history.
It was cleaned to remove dirt, remains of adhesive tape and peeling layers of paint. The areas affected by rust were stabilised and loose flakes of paint were fixed in place.
The support was secured with cold welding, fastening elements and structural reinforcements. This was followed by chromatic reintegration and the application of a coat of acrylic film to protect it from the elements.