Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/07/2025
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Categories
We look forward to welcoming you to an evening talk by Doriana Greco and Simona Scimia who will present:
Conserving Sternenfall: Challenges in Preserving Anselm Kiefer’s Art
Anselm Kiefer stands nowadays as one of the most celebrated and prolific contemporary artists worldwide. Yet, some of his early works are now facing conservation difficulties due to their grand scale and the thick, textured impastos. A notable case is Sternenfall, a 1998 painting housed at MAXXI in Rome. After being stored for an extended period in the museum’s depots, the artwork has experienced gradual structural degradation of the canvas, which has become more evident in recent years.
In this talk, Doriana and Simona will discuss the interdisciplinary efforts behind the restoration of this monumental piece, conducted within the museum’s exhibition spaces. They will provide insights into Kiefer’s unique creative process and the impact it has on his works, as well as the practical and ethical dilemmas faced by conservators during the treatment of these monumental pieces. The restoration strategy mainly focused on minimal intervention, primarily addressing structural issues. Additionally, research emphasised the use of green restoration materials to ensure compatibility with the museum environment and the presence of visitors.
Doriana Greco is a freelance conservator with a degree from the Central Institute for Restoration in Rome and a specialisation in Contemporary Art Materials. She currently works as a researcher at the Central Institute for Restoration (ICR) in Rome, studying Volatile Binding Media (VBM) and their application in canvas paintings, both ancient and modern. Her passion for contemporary art developed especially during her thesis work, which allowed her to collaborate with the 21st-century arts museum MAXXI in Rome and connect with many artists and art galleries.
Simona Scimia is a freelance conservator currently engaged in restoration work at the Church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome. She graduated from the Central Institute for Restoration in Rome, where she specialised in the field of Contemporary Art Materials. Her interest in contemporary art comes from her curiosity about the numerous artistic techniques and unusual materials used by artists. Her thesis focused on the work ‘Sternenfall’ by Anselm Kiefer, housed at the MAXXI Museum in Rome, and on the experimentation of menthol as a Volatile Binding Media (VBM) applied to various modern binders in canvas paintings.
Entry is free of charge to BAPCR members (please email BAPCRsecretary@gmail.com to request a Zoom invitation), and £7.50 for non-members. Non-members can pay for tickets in advance by:
- BACS transfer – NatWest, Sort code: 53 50 33, Account number: 5300 0757
- PayPal – paypal.com. When making payment, follow the instructions online. Click on “Send money” tab. Enter BAPCRsecretary@gmail.comwhen prompted.
Please email Gemma Collins, BAPCR Secretary at BAPCRsecretary@gmail.com with your name and email address details when you pay for your tickets.
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