from The New York Times
Michelangelo's 'David' Gets Spruced Up for His 500th Birthday
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from The Guardian
Thin grey veil lifted from Michelangelo's David, as restorer confounds critics
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from The New Scientist
Michelangelo’s David revealed after clean-up
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Finally, the saga of the cleaning of Michelangelo's David reaches a conclusion of sorts - in good time to mark the 500th anniversary of the placement of the sculpture. It is also interesting to note that one of the criteria held up to mark the success of the restoration project is: "a restoration that does not look like a restoration". If that be the case, then what does it look like? Or is the remark symptomatic of a certain "fear" of criticisms, even of well-intended restoration efforts?

from The Guardian
A renaissance in peril
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Nicolas Serota's brief commentary on the state of UK museums is timely, and especially resonant on the occasion of the International Museum Day (18 May). It is also interesting to recall Serota's earlier comment on the need to avoid "national or social chauvinism" when determining acquisition priorities - in the case of significant paintings in danger of being sold and hence leaving the country.

However, would not the plea for greater funding support for British museums be a kind of "national chauvinism"? But one wouldn't think so, probably. Perhaps, it is inherent in the function of culture (and arts) to, firstly, distinguish - and some would say "discriminate" - that which is culture (or art) and that which is not; and secondly, to differentiate the "good" from the "bad", or what might be termed as connoisseurship - and some would say "elitism". The parameters might shift with historical and social contexts, but the essential function remains.

Efforts to expand these parameters, so that they are more inclusive (such as folk art) and less discriminating (as in social history), are obviously praiseworthy. However, that will be relative in terms of degree, but will not demolish the fact that culture (and art) is essentially about categorisation and connoisseurship, which would entail a sense of judgment and comparison.

from The New Yorker
A Picasso Face-Lift
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A short article on the on-going conservation work carried out on Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d’Avignon" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is also interesting to note that the decision to conserve the painting was taken after it went on show in a blockbuster show, and didn't look too good besides other paintings.

100th Weblog Posting on APERTUM

As this is the 100th posting, I thought the space should be given over to comments from readers and users of this weblog. Please add your thoughts at the link to the comments page of this posting. And this will greatly help in gauging reactions to this weblog and its contents.

* How useful are the postings and the topics covered?
* Have the ensuing comments and discussion been helpful?
* Is the frequency of postings adequate? Or too much?
* Are there other information or web-site links related to preservation and heritage that would be useful to look at?
* Any suggestions for improvement?

All manner of comments and ideas are greatly appreciated!

Over the last 3 months or so, sometimes it feels a bit like a monologue, with brief interludes of dialogue and discussion. This does not seem ideal, or am I badly mistaken? Now is the time to have your say!

from Nature News
Bugs go spelunking
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As biomineralisation becomes better understood in the natural world, its usefulness in the field of stone conservation would also inevitably increase. So instead of just reaching for a solution of synthetic resins for use as a consolidant, conservators can also pull out the vials of specially cultured bacteria in treating deteriorated stone surfaces!

from The New York Times
Skyscrapers in Cyberspace: Maps and History Online
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It is only when individual artefacts are accessed and linked in a meaningful way that a collection can come to life and takes on a special significance - whether in a real-life physical space, such as the museum, or in virtual space! An important argument to ponder over is that the presentation of collections, especially in an online environment, is less about technological challenges but more of a communication design problem :

As museums digitize their collections and cram their Web sites with images of artworks, archaeological artifacts and other cultural treasures, they also must decide how people can sort through the material. Most museum sites offer a search engine and a few chronologically organized virtual exhibitions. But museums, always cost-conscious and often conservative, are rarely inclined to experiment with how information is presented onscreen.

This also brings up another interesting issue, as museums embark on digitisation efforts, always fearful of being left behind in this technological race. Would the need for digitisation now drives conservation work priorities - perhaps in tandem or more likely in competition with exhibitions and their conservation needs? Would aretfacts be expected to be properly conserved before digital images are taken?

from New Scientist
Micro-sculptures give metal the Velcro touch
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An interesting method of joining different materials without the use of adhesive. This is achieved by etching the surfaces with a controlled electron beam which melts the surface. And in moving the beam in a very specific manner and speed, regular projections are left on the surface which acts as "hooks" for "adhesion" to take place between treated surfaces. See a close up graphics of the process here.

from The New York Observer
The Brooklyn Museum Gives Open House On Dumbing Down
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Yet another highly polemical article - targeting the recent re-launching of the Brooklyn Museum - which decries the trend of cultural institutions invoking "community relevance".

from Reuters News
Mini Airship Hovers Inside Ancient UK Cathedral
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A neat idea for photographing large structures in order to record actual condition without risking life and limb on scaffoldings! This would also be useful for extremely large or inaccessible outdoor sculptures. Adding a real-time video feed could also enable the ground-crew to focus in on certain problematic sections in greater detail instantaneously.

from BBC News
Tate boss questions 'saving' art
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refer to BBC News
Government bans painting export
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refer to BBC News
Saving art for the nation explained
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In the UK, to export any 'cultural goods' of fifty years' age and above to another country would require a special licence. This requirement was born out of a need to keep works of significance and value in the country. Ever since this rule was enforced, a number of works of art have been 'saved' by funds raised through public appeals to acquire them. The director of London's Tate gallery, Nicholas Serota, challenged this existing mentality by asking for an objective assessment of the motives of such a practice.

"The belief that a work is always better seen in a british public collection than in a foreign public collection needs to be tested by reasoned argument rather than simple appeals to national or social chauvinism."

He also suggested that resources could be spent on 20th century and contemporary art.

To me, this chain of events and comments is interesting because it questions the relevance of a certain allocation of limited resources. Of course, what is 'relevant' depends very much on the priority focus set by the country's cultural institutions and authorities. A country who is long and rich in its past heritage has to balance its needs of preserving the past while continue building on the present. Also, the idea of social chauvinism, really, how far are we accepting of the idea that stewardship and preservation of a country's cultural and heritage resources can be both within and out of the country?