The workshop offers full-day activities in an intensive course devoted to the techniques, materials, history and the theory of fresco painting and an introduction to conservation. Activities include a series of lectures followed by demonstrations and hands-on practical sessions. You’ll have the opportunity to create the authentic Renaissance ‘Buon Fresco’, which you may keep with you at the end of the course.

Read more… 

It was a great experience last night visiting the magnificent palace Cà Rezzonico in Venice, the 18^th century Museum in Venice, accompanied by theatrical drama; a “real and imaginary” tribute to Shakespeare‘s women. Women who Shakespeare loved and women who loved him: Lady Macbeth: a woman ready to defend the most extreme means the social position of her husband. Ophelia: a maiden who develops a real project of seduction against Prince Hamlet. Juliet’s mother: a frigid woman who remembers love tried, but denied, for the great father of Romeo. 

Admiring the mural painting of Giambattista Tiepolo and the Baroque decoration of the palazzo designed by the greatest Baroque architect Baldassar Longhena was even more exciting this time.

Fully mmersed in the atmosphere of the authentic Venetian Palazzo, painted figures and real actors seemed to talk to each other….

The Play of Susanna Costaglione and Marta Richeldi was an exciting and unique experience and the solo flute concert, masterly performed by Federica Lotti, gave a great expression to the entire theatrical performance, with her unique sensual touches of breath and voice.

Where: 

Venice Museum Ca’ Rezzonico

Dorsoduro 3136, 

30123 Venice
Phone +39 041 2410100
Fax +39 041 2410100
carezzonico@fmcvenezia.it

When:

February 17, 18, 19 and 20 2012

LE DONNE POCO FRAGILI DI SHAKESPEARE

Adattamento drammaturgico dei testi e regia di Giuseppe Emiliani
con Susanna Costaglione e Marta Richeldi
Musiche eseguite dal vivo da Federica Lotti
Organizzazione a cura di Tiven Group

Images: Alma Ortolan

The video presents the restoration works in progress of the of the building, next to the Basilica of theMadonna della Salute, headquarters of the Studium Generale Marcianum Foundation of the Patriarchal Seminary of Venice: 

 Studium Generale Marcianum Foundation – The restoration

The Studium Generale Marcianum is a Foundation which promotes studies and researches, whose founding members and contributors, leading civilian and private institutions, have recognized the cultural and social value of the project. It operates within the framework of education, culture and innovation, according to three levels: pedagocical, academic, research.

The academic courses covers the academic and doctoral degrees programs offered by the Faculty of Canon Law San Pio X, the Instituto Superiore di Scienze Religiose San Lorenzo Giustiniani, linked to the Facoltà Teologica del Triveneto with a bachelor degree in Religious Studies and two post-bachelor degree in Bioetics and Cultural Heritage.

The Studium Generale Marcianum offers a variety of post-degree training proposal, trough collaboration agreements with national and international Universities. Oasis International Foundation which promotes mutual understanding between Muslims and Christians. 

The educational and cultural activities of the Studium enjoy the support and contribution of thelibrary, the publisher Marcianum Press and the Convitto Internazionale Giovanni XXIII.

With the help of experts in Italy, researchers at the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain used the method on a series of frescoes by the 17th century artist Antonio Palomino in the Church of Santos Juanes in the same city.

Frescoes lining the church’s walls were nearly destroyed after a 1936 fire and were later restored in the 1960s, according to one press release. But the previous restorers did not anticipate that the dried salt left on the walls from the fire would migrate to the paintings over the years, creating a white, grainy crust over the work. They also failed to remove an excess of hardened glue from where the murals were previously detached.

Seeing the salt layers and glue as threats to the art’s longevity, restoration specialists and scientists sought the help of a team in Italy that used bacteria to gently remove hardened glue from other works. While collaborating, they selected for a species of Pseudomonas bacteria capable of removing and breaking down the dried salt layer.

Other options to restore the frescoes would have required using chemicals to remove the unwanted layer or using physical means to scrape it off. It’s clear that both measures would increase the risk of further damage.

But the bacteria treatment, placed on the works’ surfaces via a removable gel, did not allow moisture to penetrate or alter other layers of the paintings. Without the gel, scientists say, the bacteria die off. And unlike other restoration approaches, the bacteria pose no toxic threats to individuals using them.

It’s suggested the team also used another type of bacteria to break down the leftover globs of glue as well.

After the bacteria remove the salts, experts clean and dry the surface of the paintings to preserve them for years to come.

The conservator-restorer also figured out a new way to apply the bacteria. The scientists trap the bacteria in a gel. This way, the single-celled cleaning crew can destroy the salt layer with no moisture penetrating the murals. 

When the gel is then cleaned off, the surface is quickly dried, leading to the demise of the bacterial assistants. The researchers presented the results at a seminar in Spain.

They’re now working on refining the technique, so that it can be used with paintings on various surfaces. And thus bring dulled and damaged works of art back to life.

Thanks to Marianne English and Cynthia Graber

Photo by Alma Ortolan

The historical benefits of using natural renders are well documented and they will be presented during the next  workshop.

The “Historic lime mortars” workshop is designed for those who believe that the bio-architecture is the right answer to a more eco sustainable economy & life.

The eco-building techniques helps us to make our homes healthier, using natural finishes, lime based plasters and paints.

The course will provide step-by-step instructions and hands-on to show the practical elements of working with lime and natural-based finishes on a wide variety of wall surfaces, including traditional and eco-build materials like bricks, cob, and stone, as well as modern plasterboard and concrete surfaces, with stunning results. 

In addition to the traditional methods for making “lime mortars”, the workshop will introduce participants also the old Moroccan plaster technique of tadelakt and the application of this surface finish to modern charming interiors.

 For further information please visit our website

When we decided to stay in a family house to better understand the Native Andes Culture & Life a dog found us en la Calle Reconquista and took us to his home where Mari Sol greeted us with a smile. 

I immediately understood that her home is one of the dominant things that keeps me here longer and somewhere in the heart of my physical passivity (due to the lack of oxygen at this altitude -3442 m.) lies a desire to experience the link between people, nature and heritage in the most authentic way. I felt a strong desire to leave to this place something meaningful, using my skills of conservator-restorer.

Then I decided to offer my job to create an  ornamental decoration with an inscription on the front main wall to indicate that this is the best place to stay in Yavi.

This is a step-by-step approach to the Sgraffito-Adobe technique:

THE CONCEPT

The family hotel is first of all the “Casa de Mari Sol” and it is in her home that she gives guests her warm welcome. That’s why in the text of the inscription sounds like that: “Bienvenidos a la Casa de Mari Sol” (welcome at Mari Sol’s home).

THE FONT

It was important to find an appropriate text character and our point of reference was the 17^th century documents related to the local Spanish colonial history which are preserved Museo Histórico Arqueológico y Biblioteca of the Casa del Marqués.

THE TECHNIQUE

The local people live in houses constructed of umbacked earth and the entire village of Yavi is built of adobe. Adobe is the name for a traditional building method in which a sub-soil is mixed with straw and water to create blocks and final coatings.

The presence of straw has the effect of reinforcing the material increasing its resistance to failure.

I wished to create an external wall decoration making an inscription with a specific decoration techniques that I would call Sgraffito-Adobe. This is my personal interpretation of the Renaissance sgraffito technique used in façade decoration combined with the Adobe coating technique using the local natural materials. 

It consists in one layer made of earth, dark pigments, and straw, which has the property of binding the soil together into workable lumps, thus facilitating its placement on the wall.

The second and final layer is made of a lime coating made from hydrated lime and then scratching so as to produce an outline drawing.

This story is about places and people which are inseparable and the combination is part of the intrinsic value of these uncontaminated landscapes of the Puna Argentina. I am very thankful to Mari Sol and her family to offer me the possibility to feel a part of the relationship between people, the land and the built environment and enhance the tradition of earthen architecture.

The 14th century artist Giotto di Bondone, considered by critics to be one of the founders of the Italian Renaissance.

The Basilica di Santa Croce is the main Franciscan church in Florence. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce. The site, when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile and Rossini. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs.

The Peruzzi Chapel pairs three frescoes from the life of St. John the Baptist (The Annunciation of John’s Birth to his father Zacharias; The Birth and Naming of John; The Feast of Herod) on the left wall with 3 scenes from the life of St. John the Evangelist (The Visions of John on Ephesus; The Raising of Drusiana; The Ascension of John) on the right wall. The choice of scenes has been related to both the patrons and the Franciscans. Because of the serious condition of the frescoes, it is difficult to discuss Giotto’s style in the chapel, although the frescoes show signs of his typical interest in controlled naturalism and psychological penetration.

The Peruzzi Chapel was especially renowned during Renaissance times. Giotto’s compositions influenced Masaccio‘s Cappella Brancacci, and Michelangelo is known to have studied the frescoes.
Giotto’s paintings in the lance-shaped chapel are believed to have had a major influence on Michelangelo painting, who was born nearly 140 years after Giotto died and who painted the Sistine Chapel in the early 1500s.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Opera of Santa Croce, the Gallerie dell’Accademia and the Getty Foundation in Los Angeles comes, during the restoration, the extraordinary discovery about the Giotto’s frescoes of the Peruzzi Chapel in the church of Santa Croce in Florence.

Restorers and researchers began an ambitious project of ‘non-invasive diagnostics’ to ascertain the condition of the 12-metre-high chapel, which Giotto painted in about 1320.

The diagnostic campaign of the fresco in the Peruzzi Chapel has obtained surprising, as fundamental and remarkable results that will change the course of studies on Giotto. Using the investigations with ultra-violet rays (UV) the restorers have rediscovered rich original details such as the light and shade which create the massive volumes and figures that give a realistic presence and almost three-dimensional space.

Giotto di Bondone painted the Peruzzi Chapel towards the end of his life and some experts believe he was striving for a different effect than he achieved with the fresco technique, in which the painting is done while the plaster is still wet.

‘It allowed him to obtain something more rich in terms of colours, of decorations, but over time, dry painting is very fragile,’ Ms. Cecilia Frossini said (Direttore Settore di Restauro delle Pitture Murali, Opificio Pietre Dure). ‘I hope we can find enough funds (estimated approximately 200,000) euros to have a complete ultra-violet mapping of the whole chapel in order to build some kind of virtual software to share all that we have discovered with the general public,’ Ms. Frossini said.

Images: MiBAC

The conference will be held in Valencia, Spain from 4 to 5 May 2012.

Conceptual, material and technical issues surround the production of mural paintings in the 20th  and 21st  centuries.  Graffiti, community mural paintings, the use of materials from industry, the new approaches in the ways in which buildings are conceived, the constant transformation of  public space. All this diversity creates a new scenario that imposes specific considerations regarding the study, documentation, treatment and preservation of such particular artworks.

The aim of this conference is to provide a forum for artists, curators, conservators, and all those involved in the conservation and restoration of modern and contemporary mural paintings to discuss questions such as:

• - Should graffiti murals be considered as enduring work?

• - Can artists and conservators collaborate to make their works Last as long as possible?

• - Who is responsible for the conservation of ‘community murals’?

• - What role do artists play in their preservation? Is repainting a valid alternative?

• -What about the change in context of those murals removed from the location they were created for?

• - Do we know exactly what materials artists use in their production? What are the interactions between the modern materials that form the structure of these works?

• - Why do they often age so quickly?

• - How to preserve outdoor murals subjected to extreme environmental conditions?

The Conference mcmp2012 will focus on the following topics:

 - Materials of contemporary murals:  history, current technology, future improvements (graffitis, ceramic murals, silicate paints, synthetic temperas, acrylic smalts, mural canvases….etc).

• - The question of  “value”  and how it applies to murals

• - Muralism and anthropology: the community’s role

• - Understanding modern and contemporary wall paintings and their conservation needs

• -The philosophy behind conservation of modern and contemporary paintings: minimal intervention vs. non-intervention

• - Case studies of traditional-vs-unorthodox treatments in mural paintings

• - Other topics related.

   

   

   

  Registration

 ‘a natural genius, a great inventor of dramatic tales that unfold in a choreography of vibrant light and shade… an endlessly entertaining performance.’ Roberto Longhi

The exhibition is part of a broader program designed to explore the work of those artists who have helped to make the story of art in our country so unique and grandiose, ranging from Botticelli to Antonello da Messina, from Bellini to Caravaggio and, more recently, to Lorenzo Lotto and Filippino Lippi. 

This exhibition, focusing on the three main themes that distinguish Tintoretto’s work: religion, mythology and portraiture, is strictly monographic and will be divided into sections comprising a handful of carefully selected and unquestioned masterpieces, beginning and ending with his two self-portraits of himself as a young man, from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and as an old man, from the Louvre. 

The first section, on the first floor of the Scuderie, will be devoted to religious themes (which played such a major role in Tintoretto’s artistic output), opening with one of his first acknowledged works, Jesus Among the Doctors(1542) lent by the Milan Cathedral’s Diocesan Museum, and ending with the The Deposition (1594) from the Monastry of San Giorgio Maggiore, possibly the last work in which it is possible to identify the hand of the master. In between, the exhibition will include such important works as the Madonna of the Treasurers and the Stealing of the Dead Body of St. Mark , both from the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the St Mary of Egypt and the St Mary Magdalen , from the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and the unprecedented and spectacular juxtaposition of the Last Supper from the Venetian church of San Trovaso and another version of the same subject painted five years later, from the church of San Polo, to celebrate one of the Scuole del Sacramento’s favorite themes. 

The second floor will house the other two sections of the exhibition, starting with the section devoted to portraits. Even though he was in competition with Titian, his contemporaries yet recognized his “utterly exquisite eye in portraiture”. Some of his most famous portraits from leading international collections will be on display in this section.

During the exhibition, numerous activities and workshops for kids and families are planned. For further information, please contact: didattica.sdq@palaexpo.it

Tintoretto, Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome
25 February 2011 - 10 June 2012

Full price € 10.00
Reduced price € 8.50

One price ticket for Scuderie del Quirinale and Palazzo delle Esposizioni
Full price € 18.00
Reduced price € 15.00
Schools € 6.00
Tickets are valid for 3 days from date of emission
Palazzo delle Esposizioni is closed on Monday
For information about Palazzo delle Esposizioni exhibitions: www.palazzoesposizioni.it

ARTE FIERA BOLOGNA. From January 27 to 30, 2012 the 36th edition of Bologna Art First.

Since 1974 the Arte Fiera has been presenting arists, such us Ben Brown, Gavin Turk, Miguel Barcelò, Lucio Fontana, Andy Wharol, Kounellis, Calzolari, Pistoletto, Anish Kapoor and many others. This year, The curatorial project On the Spot challenges several premises, investigating whether an exhibition containing works on display at an art fair can be conceptualized, selected, exhibited and inaugurated in only one day; and whether concepts like ‘spectator participation’ and ‘live experience’ can be put into practice at an art fair.

The one-day projects will be exhibited at the curator’s place in hall 22 booth B2 at ArteFiera between the 27 and 29 January 2012.

Artists, critics, museum directors, curators and players on the Italian and international art scene will animate a series of meetings, events and presentations of publications and projects. Thanks to the collaboration of gallery and publisher exhibitors at Arte Fiera Art First, the Art Café is a unique opportunity to meet a range of people from the art world.

DAILY PROGRAMME of this 36th edition of Arte Fiera Art First
(Updated to January 17)

27 January 2012
12,00 a.m. – 13,00 p.m.
Award of the Segno D’Oro prize to the artist Nunzio
Discussant: Lucia Spadano.
Event organised by rivista Segno.

1,15 p.m. – 2,15 p.m.
Presentation of the book “Change the colour!” by BridA/Sendi Mango, Jurij Pavlica, Tom Kerševan, edited by Božidar Zrinski, published by The International Centre of Graphic Arts of Ljubljana (MGLC).
Discussants: BridA (Sendi Mango, Jurij Pavlica) and Božidar Zrinski.
Event organized by Traffic Gallery.

2,30 p.m. – 3,30 p.m.
Presentation of the project “Vontobel per l’arte”.
Discussants: Pietro Bellasi, Bruno Corà, Francesco Tarabini Castellani and Stefano Sbarbaro.
Also present Dim Sampaio and Eduard Winklhofer, artists involved in the project.
Event organized by Vontobel Europe SA Milan Branch.

4,00 p.m. – 5,00 p.m.
Presentation of the book “Davide Nido e Robert Pan | Trame riflesse” edited by Alberto Mattia Martini.
Discussants: Davide Nido, Robert Pan, Alberto Mattia Martini. Event organized by Bonelli ArteContemporanea, Mantua.

5,30 p.m. – 6,30 p.m.
“Conversazioni intorno al libro”: presentation of books “Athos Ongaro”, “Forme implicite”, “Opus Alchymicum”; Allemandi Editore.
Discussants: Athos Ongaro and Marco Senaldi, Mirta Carroli and Maria Luisa Vezzali, Lolita Timofeeva; moderator: Sandro Parmiggiani.
Event organized by Allemandi Editore.

28 January 2012
12,00 a.m. – 1,00 p.m.
Presentation of the book “Le piccole provinciali di M. de P.” by Fabio Mauri, Editore Il Canneto.
Discussants: Achille Mauri, Giacomo Marramao, Giambattista D’Aste. Event organized by Galleria Michela Rizzo.

1,15 p.m. – 2,15 p.m.
Presentation of the book “Pelle di donna. Identità e bellezza tra arte e scienza”, edited by Martina Mazzotta and Pietro Bellasi, Edizioni Gabriele Mazzotta.
Discussants: Pietro Bellasi, Martina Mazzotta, Fulvio Simoni. Event organized by Edizioni Gabriele Mazzotta.

2,30 p.m. – 3,30 p.m.
Presentation of the book “La neve dentro”, by Maurizio Padovano, illustrations by William Mark Zanghi, Drago Edizioni.
Discussants: Alberto Zanchetta, Marco Cingolani, William Mark Zanghi.
Event organized by Drago Edizioni.

4,00 p.m. – 5,00 p.m.
Presentation of the book “Gastone Novelli. Catalogo generale 1. Pittura e scultura”, edited by Paola Bonani, Marco Rinaldi, Alessandra Tiddia; sponsored by the Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art of Trent and Rovereto in collaboration with the Gastone Novelli Archive; Silvana Editoriale.
Discussants: Walter Guadagnini, Paola Bonani, Marco Rinaldi, Alessandra Tiddia.
Event organized by Galleria dello Scudo.

5,30 p.m. – 6,30 p.m.
Presentation of the book “Pennellate all’arte. Incontri con artisti dal 1930″, by Corrado Levi, Corraini Edizioni.
Discussants: Corrado Levi, Stefano Arienti, Beppe Finessi.
Event organized by Galleria Corraini.

29 January 2012
12,00 p.m. – 1,00 p.m.
Presentation of the book “New Italian Art” by Ludovico Pratesi, Castelvecchi Editore.
Discussants: Ludovico Pratesi, Patrizia Sandretto, Giovanni Ozzola, Andrea Bruciati, Giovanni Gasparini.
Event organized in collaboration with Artefiera.

1,15 p.m. – 2,15 p.m.
Presentation of the book “Advertising” by Pio Monti, Giancarlo Politi Editore.
Discussants: Pio Monti and Giancarlo Politi.
Event organized by Galleria Pio Monti.

2,30 p.m. – 3,30 p.m.
Presentaztion of “Tra arte e musica: l’esperienza del PAV Progetto Arti Visive di Time in Jazz” and the catalogue of “Terra”, published by Time in Jazz.
Discussants: Paolo Fresu, Giannella Demuro, Marco Senaldi.
Event organized by Galleria Pack Milano, Galleria Fumagalli Bergamo, The Gallery Apart Roma.

4,00 p.m. – 5,00 p.m.
Presentation of the book “Art&Kunst. Ricerca artistica e territorio”, edited by Valerio Dehò, Campanotto Editore in collaboration with Kunst Merano/Merano Arte.
Discussants: Valerio Dehò, Marcello Fera and Herta Torggler.
Event organized by the Goethe and Antonella Cattani Contemporanea galleries, Bolzano.

5,30 p.m. – 6,30 p.m.
Presentation of the catalogue “Concetto Pozzati. Archivio Generale IV Tomo”, edited by Fondazione Concetto Pozzati.
Discussants: Concetto Pozzati and Simonetta Lux. Presentation of the book “Premio Maretti – Giuseppe Stampone” edited by Eugenio Viola.
Discussants: Giuseppe Stampone and Eugenio Viola. Events organized by Maretti editore.