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The fourth edition of the Horcynus Summer School – Conservation and restoration of contemporary works of art kicked off yesterday, scheduled until August 1st in the spaces of the Horcynus Orca Foundation, in Capo Peloro, and in some cultural and university venues in the city of Messina. The Summer School offers an intensive and interdisciplinary course aimed at young professionals, scholars, restorers, art historians and cultural heritage operators. The program intertwines lectures, seminars, diagnostic activities, workshops and guided tours, addressing the main theoretical, scientific and ethical issues related to the conservation of 20th and 21st century works of art.
All the meetings included in the program, with the exception of the workshops and guided tours, are open to the public and can be attended free of charge until all available places are available. The Summer School opened yesterday with the registration of participants and the presentation of the fourth edition, followed by an initial in-depth study dedicated to material instability and ethical responsibility in the protection of contemporary art. Over the course of the two weeks, seminar and workshop contributions will alternate.
The topics addressed include conservation as a knowledge practice, the integrated diagnostic approach to the study of materials, imaging and spectroscopy techniques, interventions on contemporary metal artefacts, biological and aerobiological monitoring of cultural heritage, the relationship between conservation, critical research and institutional responsibility. Ample space will also be reserved for dialogue between contemporary art, society and territory, through meetings dedicated to the new economies of culture, museum experiences and strategies for the adaptive reuse of architectural heritage.
Among the events open to the public, the contributions of Luciano Pensabene, restorer and conservator specializing in modern and contemporary art, curator of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice since 2012, dedicated to the theoretical, methodological and ethical issues of the conservation of contemporary art, and those of Marco Bazzini, art historian and critic, teacher and curator, scientific director of the Emilio Isgrò Archive and former director of the Pecci Center in Prato, focus on the role of institutions and of the collections, on the relationship between conservation and interpretation of the work and on the case of Emilio Isgrò’s gate. This last theme is also linked to the seminar by Stefania Agnoletti, restorer of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, who will delve into the conservation interventions on modern and contemporary metal artefacts and will present some case studies, up to the specific focus on the restoration of the Isgrò gate present at the MACHO Museum.
The events also include the seminar by Marco Meneguzzo, contemporary art historian and critic, teacher and curator, dedicated to collecting and the global art market. The activities will mainly take place in the Consolo Hall of the Horcynus Orca Foundation, in the building of the former Shooting Range of Torre Faro. Some meetings will be hosted at the UniME Papardo university campus.
The Summer School will end on Saturday 1st August with a final discussion and the presentation of certificates. The Horcynus Summer School is promoted by the Horcynus Orca Foundation and the MeSSina Foundation – Philanthropic Institution, as part of the Meditechnè project, with the support of the Contemporary Creativity Laboratory program promoted by the General Directorate of Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture.