Research program
Humanistic research and new technologies - multimedia and diagnostic tools as scientific fundaments and technical resources for conservation, museology and art techniques
University Co-ordinator
Università degli Studi di BOLOGNA -
ARTI VISIVE - ()
Research Unit Leader
Marinella Pigozzi
Description
A proper appreciation of our cultural heritage, whether displayed inside or outside the museums of the city and its surrounding area, is becoming increasingly linked to its conservation and a more in-depth understanding of that cultural heritage itself. The restoration of cultural assets must therefore take into account this broad context and any restoration project must inevitably outline the various different stages of intervention and requires the participation of individuals from various different professions. The availability of highly advanced information technology and multimedia tools allows from the effective exploitation and management of the enormous amount of data gathered from scientific and historical research and helps to bring together the various multidisciplinary activities, binding them more closely to the project. Each stage in the restoration of our cultural heritage must be carefully planned and the specific requirements of each different item of heritage taken into account. Any potential project must adopt a global view of the heritage item and should take into account as far as possible its final use or exploitation by the public. This is why it is absolutely necessary to gain a full and in-depth understanding of the particular item of cultural heritage (e.g., its original and current location, its historical-artistic profile, its specific characteristics, the sculptural or pictorial techniques used, its technical production, its state of conservation, causes of degradation, micro-climate and environmental conditions) and to devise a restoration programme aimed at protecting that heritage and preserving each of its specific characteristics. We should also consider the cultural exploitation of the item in question, paying close attention to the educational opportunities associated with it, as well as the way in which it can be presented to experts and the general public via multimedia technology. It is thus on the basis of our research and broad working experience (outlined below and in the report on the state of the art) that we can confidently claim that it is only on the basis of a comprehensive understanding of the present state of the item in question and its past history that we can collect all the information needed to design an adequate programme of restoration and implement appropriate cleaning strategies and conservation techniques. An in-depth scientific and historical appreciation of the item of cultural heritage in question can only be attained when several different professionals from various different fields work together on a project, each bringing their particular expertise and thus contributing to a more complete and genuinely useful study of the building, monument or work of art. The skills of different professional figures (art historians, architects, restorers, historians, geologists, archaeologists, chemists and engineers) should be employed at restoration sites and labs with the aim of attaining an accurate and exhaustive understanding of the item and enabling therefore the design of an effective programme of work to be undertaken. Archaeological analysis is an innovative methodological approach to the study of architecture and allows for the identification of the various different phases of realisation and transformation of a building. As a method of analysis, it proves particularly useful in any context involving the restoration of buildings from various different periods. The method permits the analysis and study of walls covered by plaster, of floors and loft structures, of basements and underground spaces. It also allows for the greater understanding of the building methods employed and the various different stages of development of a building, as well as the identification and study of the building’s typology and constitutive elements. This method involves studying the building as if it were an archaeological site, where the various different layers are systematically analysed. This method relies on the identification of a series of erosion and depositing phases which trigger periods of activity and inactivity corresponding in turn to the various layers and surface layers. The research conclusions are based on an interpretation of the relationships between the different surface layers in direct physical contact (contemporary, previous, successive). In this way we can define the relative chronology which enables analysts to read the various different phases of development undergone by a building over time. When this is flanked by the appropriate research and analysis of materials, the definitive chronology can be effectively traced. The Bologna group intends to research the San Martino complex, situated in the historic centre of Bologna, and the Malvasia country-house, located just outside the city itself, and will study the various different items once housed in these two places and now located in museums. Each specific intervention will lead to the forming of valuable insights. The information gleaned from the analysis undertaken on various fronts is fundamental not only to any restoration work but also to the appreciation of these buildings or works in the context of the ‘museo diffuso’ or open museum, as communicated via multimedia technology. The restoration work carried out on Palazzo Paleotti, the nearby Santa Cecilia church, dating back to the Bentivolio era, houses the Paleotti family chapel (Pigozzi 2005). The analysis carried out on Palazzo Paleotti was two-fold: the first level was more general and studied the whole building, whilst the second was more specific and examined the most complex environmental aspects; these required more detailed research before any well-documented decisions regarding restoration could be taken. This analysis (Gabrielli and Geminiani 2001; Gabrielli 2003) proved particularly useful in the planning phases of the restoration project which effectively dealt with many of the complicated problems connected to the restoration of the richly decorated piano nobile, or first floor, of the building. This first floor is home to some particularly valuable frescoes dating back to the quattrocento which were cut at the upper part of the walls to make room for subsequent decoration which can be dated to the seventeenth century. Before any decisions regarding restoration could be taken, it was important to understand the nature and extent of the portions of the frescoes that belonged to the original phase of decoration. It is on the basis of the results of this complicated analysis that conservation strategies can be formulated, where the aim of these strategies is to restore the environment to its original state, even if at present compromised by heavy-handed restorative intervention, thus bringing to light the various phases of decoration over time. Moreover, the identification of the main stages of decoration within this particular space can help to identify the chronological time-line characterising the less well-preserved decorations in other rooms. In three adjacent rooms we removed sections of plaster layers and were able to analyse those parts of the walls that were visible. This form of analysis allowed us to study the wall layers. To demonstrate this visually, we drew up a plan of the interior to a scale of 1:50 and together with the relevant photograph of the wall section, identified in table form the various different layers. Having identified the most interesting sections of the wall, we then carried out the scientific analysis of each area in order to understand the nature of those repainted sections and the original decoration. The results were graphically represented in tables using two separate levels of analysis: a) a plan of the plaster layers was drawn up; b) a dated plan of the plaster layers identifying different eras of intervention was drawn up.The Bologna group intends to adopt a similar practice in its analysis of the San Martino monastic complex and the Malvasia country-house, and intends to complete the following: a) historico-iconographic research; b) photo-plans and computerised reporting on the findings of the study and the various stages of restoration; c) optical analysis of the walls (wall layers); d) optical analysis of the paint/plaster layers; e) mineralogical and petrographical analysis of the materials; f) environmental analysis of the microclimate. The initial phases of study will involve photographing the existing works and carrying out the historical and iconographic research. This will be followed by an investigation into the various changes made to the two buildings, including practical changes made and changes resulting from previous works of restoration. The surfaces analysed will then be presented graphically and used to draw up an accurate report of the present state of the object of study; this will then act as a sort of yardstick against which all subsequent observations resulting from our research can be measured. In order to guarantee a high level of precision, we intend to produce detailed photographic reports which will incorporate exhaustive information on the expected complexity of stratification and the results obtained from the detailed analysis. For each of the walls we intend to produce georeferenced photo-plans using the MSRRollei software package version 2.2. This method is relatively new and will help us quickly to draw up architectural plans of the walls using photographs and a series of coordinates of specific points on the wall. The information recorded is processed by a photo-plan software package which, once the coordinates of the specific points have been inserted, eliminates the depth of the photograph, thus removing the distortions of perspective, to produce a photographic architectural plan of the object of study. We will then use these scaled down photo-plans to plot and draw up a more traditional architectural plan detailing the fresco decoration currently visible. The paint/plaster layers will be analysed according to three separate criteria: Microstratification analysis. Lab analysis of various samples. In particular: a) mineralogical and petrographical analysis of thin sections of the supporting plaster (using a polarising microscope – MOLP); b) infrared spectrophotometric analysis of paint layers to determine organic binding materials and patinas, and electronic microprobe analysis for the determination of the pigment.1Optical analysis of all the walls and paint/plaster layers. Records will be compiled for the tests carried out on the particular paint or plaster or wall samples and the following information will be detailed: coordinates, preliminary registration, description and interpretation of the various layers; identification of colour (using Natural Color System); type of documentation produced. On the basis of these findings, we will then implement the various cleaning and consolidation tests; the results of these will help us to design preservation and restoration projects which will necessarily differ from area to area and material to material. At the same time, the environmental factors will be closely monitored with a view to selecting the most appropriate equipment and maintaining a microclimate consummate with the works in question and their preservation, keeping in mind the future use of each of the rooms. The results of the research carried out can quickly be recorded via the use of various computerised tools. Visual information will be collected and used by restorers in the documentation of their activities. It is of great importance that we fully document each and every instance of restoration so that future projects of restoration and preservation can draw on this information. Such documentation will also constitute a database which can be used by experts, and will provide useful references for documentaries. Indeed, we intend to produce documentaries, which can be used both for recreational and educational ends. The adaptability and potential of documentaries means that any item of cultural heritage or museum or restoration project can be studied, interpreted and evaluated; in particular, with regard to museums in the city and its surrounding area, documentaries can act as a thread drawing together the different factors, areas and places making up the ‘museo diffuso’ or open museum, the object of this study. Recent studies on museum communication and relations with the public have shown that it is often very difficult to fully exploit our cultural heritage using traditional methods which are usually based on written information and pictures acting as guides to the works in question – that is, methods based on linguistic and visual signs. These methods rely on the quick progression from verbal messages to motor-sensory movement, which would not be the case were a visual method of information-presentation to replace the current linguistic-reliant method. We need to adopt a fresh approach therefore to the use of documentaries in museums, exhibitions and tourist activities and implement the appropriate multimedia technology. Together with other forms of documentation and representation, (conferences, academic publications, etc) the documentary is capable of effectively capturing the attention of the public, using as it does various different communication strategies, from images to words to music and montage. Despite the fact that the documentary is highly artificial in structure, it is not perceived as such by the viewer. Because of the presentation possibilities offered by documentaries, the images can be recounted in a way that stimulates the spectator for a the museum visit in a way that would otherwise be impossible. This visual permeability or constant flow of suggestive images linking city to museum and museum to surrounding area will be reinforced by images of works which, although not directly housed in the various museums, nevertheless contribute to an overall appreciation of the cultural identity of Bologna and its surrounding area. What all this means is that the methodology to be adopted must take into account all stages of any project aimed at fully exploiting items of cultural heritage. Several of the most important local professionals working in the fields of protection and conservation will be involved in the research and communication stages and this guarantees that the work will involve a high degree of experimentation and the results will be implemented and fully documented. An interdisciplinary approach is absolutely indispensable to the success of the project. The use of computerised tools and multimedia technology will enable us to analyse, manage and document the vast and varied data collected. The method described above allows for a complete documentation of the present state of the various works in question and the conservation strategy required. The mass of data collected can also be used in the monitoring of the state’s artistic and demo-ethnic-anthropological patrimony; it can also be incorporated into databases providing highly useful information for those working in the field and can help communicate the results of the various works of restoration.By way of a conclusion, we can say that this project is characterised by a high degree of interdisciplinary collaboration, by its concrete applicability in all areas, from the work-site to museums, by its highly effective collection of data and by its capacity to communicate this information at all levels. We intend to present our results during a conference and in published form. All available multimedia technology will be fully exploited in the communication of our research results and this will contribute to making the ‘museo diffuso’, or open museum, a highly attractive and engaging experience.
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