We are pleased to announce a new, online edition of the NICAS colloquium on Thursday 21 December 2023 from 12.00 to 13.00 hrs. The colloquium will take place online through Microsoft Teams. Throughout the year, NICAS organises a bi-weekly Colloquium consisting of two short research lectures. It provides researchers with the opportunity to present ideas for, updates on or results of their activities. The NICAS Colloquium allows people to stay informed on a regular basis about the latest developments and results of research and to exchange information and expertise.
The chair is Jorien Duivenvoorden (Rijksmuseum)
The presenters are:
► Gwen Fife – Going Greener in Conservation
Abstract:
This talk will highlight some work being done into how greener conservation approaches in practice can be assessed, defined and applied. We’ll look at a brief history of the meaning of ‘green’, from its origins in Green Chemistry in the 1990’s and evolution within the developed sustainability frameworks, to examining what greener means in the context of cultural heritage conservation. The various and varying demands of our professional work must be appropriately considered in this, and research from two projects will highlight some approaches and findings from this perspective. Starting with the specific topic of greener solvents for conservation – assessment methods, research and information dissemination – we’ll then look at the strategies for providing a holistic definition of green conservation for the field as a whole, and elucidating the associated parameters.
Bio:
Gwendoline R. Fife is an art conservation consultant working as researcher for the Rijksmuseum and Ki Culture on GOGREEN (Horizon Europe). With a background in chemistry and paintings conservation she has worked for over 25 years in museums and institutions. Regularly publishing her research, she has been providing international lectures and workshops on sustainable solvent approaches in conservation practice since 2009. She is also the Director of Sustainability in Conservation’s Greener Solvent Project.
► Welmoed Kreb – Resin Bleed on a Painted Wooden Sculpture by Nicholas Pope: Problem Analysis and Treatment
Abstract:
Objects made from resinous wood may occasionally suffer from resin bleed, a phenomenon where natural resin from the wood emerges to the surface forming distinctive brown droplets, sometimes disrupting finishing layers if present. The black and white painted wooden sculpture The Church, the Village and Myself (1986) by the British/Australian artist Nicholas Pope (1949) from the Kröller-Müller Museum collection suffered from a severe case of bleeding of an unknown substance. The leaking substance was identified to be a resin from a tree of the Cedrus genus. It was found that the resin bleed could not be stopped. The artist was consulted two times on his opinion of the bleeding, reflecting a change in opinion from opposing to the resin bleed to embracing it as part of the artwork’s life. Based on the findings of this research, the sculpture could be treated non-invasively, in line with the wishes of the artist and the owner. The research was a collaboration between Tirza Mol and Paul van Duin (Rijksmuseum Amsterdam), Sanneke Stigter (University of Amsterdam), Marcel van der Sande (Kröller-Müller Museum) and Welmoed Kreb.
Bio:
Welmoed Kreb is an independent wood and furniture conservator. She holds a bachelor of fine art in education and a Master’s and Postmaster’s degree in conservation and restoration at the University of Amsterdam where she graduated in 2022. She has an interest in modern objects and modern furniture, modern materials, decorative, gilded and painted surfaces and European lacquerware.