Technical session No. 1
Preliminary analysis and chemical disinfestation
The technical session is a suspended time, devoted to work and listening. Restorers, curators, technicians and artists gather around the work as around a living body: they observe it, question it, record its silences and resistances.
It is not yet the time of the actions or labours to come, but of approach: a space of waiting and attention, where the gesture is prepared and knowledge is built through a shared gaze.
It is not yet the time of the actions or labours to come, but of approach: a space of waiting and attention, where the gesture is prepared and knowledge is built through a shared gaze.
It is therefore not an exhibition or a performance, but an internal stage, necessary to build and consolidate the work. It is a space of concentration and professional exchange, where decisions are taken, tests are made and experiments carried out.
In the context of L’arte è una fatica inutile, these sessions also become a moment of silent dialogue among the people involved: a shared workshop which, although it takes place in front of the public, remains suspended in the dimension of the invisible, a place of transit where the work prepares to become, and the community around it begins to recognise itself.
Preliminary analysis and chemical disinfestation
The preliminary analysis is the stage in which the restorer listens to the material: observing, documenting, assessing its fragilities and the traces of time, in order to understand how and how much to intervene. A moment of knowledge and responsibility, in which every decision stems from respect for the life of the wood and the history it holds.
At this stage:
- the state of conservation is analysed (condition of the wood, cracks, insect damage, deformations, overpainting, losses, surface deposits);
- the constituent materials and execution techniques are recorded;
- an intervention plan is defined, tailored to the condition of the work and its conservation history.
Controlled chemical disinfestation
“Wrapping” the object in plastic film creates a closed chamber in which the woodworm treatment and the anoxic atmosphere can act evenly and safely.
The controlled chemical disinfestation was carried out with a careful method and with full respect for the wooden object. After a thorough preliminary assessment, the specific product was brushed over the entire surface of the sculpture, ensuring an even distribution even in the least accessible areas.
"Fragile Ercole"
Once the woodworm treatment had been applied, the work was wrapped in barrier plastic film and carefully sealed to create a closed, controlled environment, so that the active ingredient could act in depth against wood-boring insects.
The object will remain in this treatment environment for several days, constantly monitored to ensure the effectiveness of the process and the safety of the wood.
