Alessandra, how did you become a restorer?
At the end of my high school studies, I accidentally attended a series of conferences on restoration at the University of Lecce and I was fascinated by the presentation of the book on the restoration of the Sistine Chapel by prof. Alessandro Conti. The passion for his work that prof. Conti was trasmitting prompted me to enroll in a restoration course in the Lecce branch of a private Florentine school. As soon as possible I then moved to Florence to follow the three-year course run by prof. Conti, professor and exceptional person who has profoundly influenced my education and my working future.
Considering that the goal of his courses was to train for the maintenance of works of art so as to never have to actually perform the restauration of an artwork, we can understand what utopian vision of the world of restoration he had.
During periods of school break, I went to work in one of my teachers’ restoration sites of frescoes. So I abandoned the easel paintings sector to devote myself to architectural restauration. At the end of the course I deepened my training “on site” with a long period of free apprenticeship. I got my first paid job in large company in Milan working on stone artefacts.
Now let’s talk about one of your works. There have been several opportunities for collaboration with Art-Test , which one do you want to remember? For us it has always been extremely pleasant the way in which we have been able to establish with you a real dialogue between diagnostics and restoration.
With Art-Test I participated in a project for the restoration of the fifteenth-century Palazzo Madama in Piacenza, where we wanted to give space to diagnostic investigations useful for the definition and restoration project of wall paintings, ancient plasters and stone artefacts. I avail myself of the scientific advice of Art-Test in many of my sites. I shall mention the precious help of Art-Test in the restoration of a Greek statue kept in the archaeological museum of Palazzo Farnese in Piacenza. The statue by Kleomenes is affected by biological patinas that we are trying to remove with an innovative scientific approach thanks to the advice of Art-Test.
Having the opportunity to work together with different professionals, with whom there is a relationship of mutual trust, is essential in order to be able to deal with the thousand problems / unforeseen events with which we often have to deal. Over the years Art-Test has provided me with the technical assistance necessary to tackle the work with a scientific method.
In general, what are the most common problems encountered during a restoration in which diagnostics are most useful? And what are the advantages for a restorer to combine a targeted diagnostic campaign with a restoration project?
It would be good and desirable to always be able to carry out preliminary diagnostic investigations useful for defining restoration projects. Unfortunately, the economic space for diagnostics is always very limited and scientific laboratory advice is normally required only when faced with unexpected problems.
I find the laboratory investigation that characterizes the materials used in previous restorations very useful. Until a few years ago the technical documentation of the restorations was absent, very often untrue or lacking in information. In the 70s and 90s, new advanced materials were used in the restoration in an experimental way, which proved not always suitable for a conservative restoration and at times were the cause of deterioration.
You have been working in this field for many years, what changes have you noticed, for example in terms of customers, prices and clients?
I think there have been changes and not for the good. I have been working for thirty years in the field of monumental restorations in a provincial reality in the rich Emilia and in recent years I have noticed that private clients are less willing to invest in restorations. Although there is increasing information on the professional figure of the restorer, especially private clients find it difficult to accept fair costs. It follows that, unfortunately, there are colleagues on the market who tend to lower costs by adapting to the customers’ claims for discounts, devaluing the value of the profession, a situation that has serious repercussions above all on the remuneration of collaborators. Ironically, the current prices are the same or lower than those we applied at the beginning of the 2000s. The problem cannot be easily solved because among fellow restorers there is a competition that should not exist and it is not possible to communicate and create a united front.
