„Landschaft mit Innenraum“

Restaurierung einer farbig gefassten Drahtskulptur des tschechischen Künstlers Karel Malich

Abstract

“Landscape with Interior Space” – Conservation of a Painted Wire-Sculpture of the Czech Artist Karel Malich
“Landscape with interior space”, a large, three dimensional, and coloured wire-sculpture was created in 1974 by the Czech artist Karel Malich. The interplay of thin wires combined with the sculpture’s huge dimensions gives it a high degree of lightness, flexibility and fragility. The object had come from the collection Teufel to the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart in bad condition. Its conservation was carried out as a work project in the objects conservation programme at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design). The conservation focused on damage like loosened painting layers, loosened wire connections and broken wires. Wire deformation had changed the original appearance of the sculpture. As a basis of the eventual treatment, detailed investigations were undertaken concerning the solvents and binding media for the colouring as well as alternative methods for joining wires. Finally, the sculpture’s shape could be reconstructed with the help of photographic material. Broken wires were reconnected, missing wires were replaced and the paint layer was consolidated and partly inpainted.