FUTURE TALKS 009 The Conservation of Modern Materials in ...

Die Neue Sammlung 

The International Design Museum Munich 

FUTURE TALKS 009 

The Conservation of Modern Materials in Applied Arts and Design 

Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, Germany 

October 22 and 23, 2009 


The conference will highlight the state-of-the-art of scientific research focusing on 

practical methods of treatment in the conservation of modern materials of design 

objects, a topic that until now has received little attention. 

Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich – [www.die-neuesammlung.de] 

houses one of the world’s largest and most important collections of 

industrial design. The large number of objects reflects the technologies and materials 

developed in the course of the 20th century, attesting in particular to the use of 

plastics. However, unlike most traditional materials these are subject to a dynamic 

aging process and after only a short time often already bear irreversible traces of 

degradation. Corresponding types of damage can hardly be reconciled with the 

respective designer’s original intentions and are often problematic in terms of 

conservation. The Conservation Department of Die Neue Sammlung has for years 

focused on the conservation of degraded modern materials. 

The conference and the associated publication will be in English. 

There will also be a social event and opportunities to visit local laboratories. 

Bookings (www.die-neue-sammlung.de/event/): 

Bookings are now being accepted. Numbers for the conference are limited and early 

registration is advised. Registration and payment must be recieved by The Neue 

Sammlung no later than 1. October 2009. 

Please note that registration is required. 

Conference fee: 

The registration fee is graduated. 

Please note there is a higher fee if you register after July 31, 2009 

- Early bird : € 150,00 (2 day-ticket) 

after July 31: € 180,00 (2 day-ticket) 

- One-day-ticket: Early bird (before July 31) € 75,00 

after July 31: € 90,00. 

- Students: Early bird (before July 31 )€ 50,00 (2 day-ticket), 

after July 31 € 65,00. 

Evening reception: € 25,00 (includes an open buffet and free drinks) 

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Account details: 

Account holder: Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen 

Account number: 24863 

Bank code: 700 5000 

Bank: Bayerische Landesbank München 

IBAN: DE 9170 0500 0000 0002 4863 

SWIFT: BYLADEMM 

Annotation: Die Neue Sammlung, Registration Fee (+Cafe King) 

Evening reception at cafe king with Coconami live 


We wish to welcome all conference participants at this trendy location. Cafe King, a 

former gas station is now a hip vegan restaurant/cafe/bar/lounge in the most popular 

area of Munich, the so-called “Glockenbachviertel”. Cafe King is offering an open 

buffet from the kitchen of the house: well known for its high quality vegan food and use 

of only the best ingredients in their all homemade food. The service charge is € 25,00 

and includes buffet and includes free drinks (beer, wine and soft drinks). Moreover it is 

of great pleasure that we are able to introduce you later in the evening to the exotic 

japanese-bavarian combo Coconami (http://miyaji.info/). 

Coconami consists of Miyaji and Nami, 2 Japanese stranded in Munich. Miyaji is a 

virtuoso on the ukulele, while Nami bedazzles you with her singing and also plays 

ukulele, recorder and kalimba. Coconami has been together since 2006, and a year 

later they recorded their first album – which was only released in Japan. This is where 

they met Ferdl Schuster. The innkeeper in the Bavarian-Japanese tavern “NoMiYa” in 

Munich-Haidhausen who sings old traditional Bavarian songs, accompanied by his 

Japanese friends of course. Miyaji and Nami were introduced to Bavarian culture and 

music through Ferdl, and, free from prejudices and reservations, they enthusiastically 

play Bavarian songs on the ukulele and recorder. You’d think that Ramones songs 

would not fit into this band concept whatsoever – but those listening to their music are 

astounded by how organically it all comes together. And when Nami interprets 

Japanese music with her clear, almost transparent voice, your bliss will be complete.” 

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Program 

Thursday 

22.10.09 

Name Institution Title 


8.00 – 9.00 Registration 

9.00 – 9.30 Welcome Florian Hufnagl Director Die Neue Sammlung, The International Design Museum Munich, Germany 

Tim Bechthold 

Head of Conservation Department Die Neue Sammlung, The International Design Museum Munich, Germany 

9.30 – 10.00 Lecture Kate Moomaw Metropolitan Museum of Art, 

A condition survey methodology and database for plastic objects at the Metropolitan Museum 

New York, United States 

of Art 

10.00 – 10.30 Lecture Barbara Schertel San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 

San Francisco, United States 

Meeting the needs of contemporary design: A new survey methodology 

10.30 – 11.00 Short presentations of posters 

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee 

11.30 – 12.00 Lecture Andreas Holländer Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer 

Research, Potsdam, Germany 

Aging of plastics – What can we do about it? 

12.00 – 12.30 Lecture Anna Comiotto Berne University of Applied Science, Miniaturized atmospheric plasma to improve the bondability and coatability of plastics in 

Berne, Switzerland 

modern and contemporary art and design 

12.30 – 13.00 Lecture Katharina Haider Tate Modern London, England 

Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage 

(ICN), Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

13.00 – 14.30 Lunch 

14.30 – 15.00 Lecture Yvonne Shashoua National Museum of Denmark, 

Copenhagen, Denmark 

15.00 – 15.30 Lecture Anna Comiotto Berne University of Applied Science, 

Marc Egger 

Berne, Switzerland 

15.30 – 16.00 Short presentations of posters 


16.30 – 17.000 Lecture Anna Lagana Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage 

(ICN), Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

17.00 – 17.30 Lecture Susanne Graner Die Neue Sammlung, The International 

Design Museum Munich, Germany 

19.00 – Evening Location: Vegan Restaurant/Bar Cafe King (open buffet and drinks for free) 

Reception 

(€ 25,00) 

Event: Live Gig Coconami ( 

Chair: 

Thursday a.m.: Tim Bechthold, Die Neue Sammlung, The International Design Museum Munich, Germany 

Thursday p.m.: Friederike Waentig, University of Applied Science Cologne, Germany 

Plastic bags 

Research into polyethylene bags of the series ‚Bicycles’ by Andreas Slominski 

The price of pristine PMMA 

Evaluating a suitable bonding strategy for stress crazing suspectible poly(methyl methacrylate) 

Mending broken pieces 

Investigation into a suitable method for adhering damaged works of art made of transparent 

unsaturated polyester 

Kuba and Throw Away (Working title) 

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Friday 

23.10.09 

Name Institution Title 


9.00 – 9.30 Lecture Lucia Toniolo Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy 

Triennale Design Museum, Milan, Italy 

Caring for design objects: Daily practice and advanced analytical tools 

9.30 – 10.00 Lecture Friederike Waentig University of Applied Science Cologne, 

Germany 

Conserving GDR plastics (Working title) 

10.00 – 10.30 Lecture Tim Bechthold Die Neue Sammlung, The International 

Design Museum Munich, Germany 

Stiletto. Double-sided problems with a self-adhering flexible PVC film (Working title) 


11.00 – 11.30 Lecture Roisin Morris Victoria and Albert Museum London, Cold war fashion – The analysis, treatment and preparation of a group of costume objects for 

England 

an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum 

11.30 – 12.00 Lecture Dana Melchar Victoria and Albert Museum London, 

England 

Cold War Furniture – Globe Chair, adhesion and cohesion: an interior problem 

12.00 – 12.30 Lecture Regina Fröhlich Technical University Munich, Germany Pedicures for Pesce’s ‚Il Piede’ 

12.30 – 14.00 Lunch 

14.00 – 14.30 Lecture Roger Griffith MOMA Museum of Modern Art, 

Turn it on: Turn it off 

New York, United States 

Lighting in MOMA’s collection of architecture and design 

14.30 – 15.00 Lecture Deliah Mueller- University of Applied Science Cologne, Ti3d by Marcel Breuer – an Exposure with Surprises 

Wuesten 

Germany 


15.30 – 16.00 Lecture Kathrin Kessler Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany Artists create their artwork with design objects and ready-made decoration accessories. 

Ellen Kotthaus 

Conservation challenges within an installation by Isa Genzken 

16.00 – 16.30 Lecture Alain Colombini Centre Interrégional de Conservation et 

Restauration du Patrimoine Marseille, 

France 

Characterization and degradation of fluorescent colours in works of art: preliminary studies 

16.30 Apero 

Chair: 

Friday a.m.: Yvonne Shashoua, National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark 

Friday p.m.: Brenda Kenneagh, Polymer Scientist, Victoria and Albert Museum London, England 

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Speakers 

Tim Bechthold 


Lecture: Stiletto. Double-sided problems with a self-adhering flexible 

PVC film (working title) 

Abstract will be forwarded as soon as it is available. 

The first section of Future Talks 009 will be chaired by Tim Bechthold. 

Curriculum Vitae: 

From 1991 to 1993 Tim Bechthold trained as a cabinetmaker in Bad Tölz, Germany. 

The following three years he studied conservation at the College Goering-Institute, 

Munich, Germany where he graduated in 1996 as a state-approved conservator for 

furniture and wooden sculptures. The following year he worked as a freelance furniture 

conservator in Munich, Germany. He proceeded his studies during the years 1997 to 

2002 at the Chair of Conservation, Arts Technology and Conservation Science, 

Technical University Munich, Germany, focusing on modern materials. At that time he 

completed several conservation projects on the degradation of plastics, amongst others 

at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), Vienna, Austria and at the Vitra Design 

Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany. In 2002 he graduated with the diploma thesis on 

“Polyurethane in 1960’s furniture design”. 

Since 2002 he is head of the conservation department of Die Neue Sammlung, State 

Museum of Applied Arts and Design, Design in the Pinakothek of Modern, Munich, 

Germany. 

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Alain Colombini 

Lecture: Characterization and degradation of fluorescent colours in 

works of art: preliminary studies 


Artists have been using fluorescent colours, since the early seventies. As some works of 

art have appeared in public collections, it is important to characterize and to study the 

behaviour of these materials facing degradation. Alteration mechanisms of such 

materials, found in cultural heritage, are significant from a pure conservation point of 

view and yet, these have not been extensively investigated up until now. Little is known 

about the formulations of these paints, in particular the pigment/dye and the 

binding/resin. The latter can vary upon the use, the support background and the 

packaging, while the former remains identical. Moreover, manufacturers are quite 

reluctant to provide information data reports, which make it difficult to characterize 

such materials using conventional analytical techniques. 

The purpose of this work is first, to identify and complement some existing database on 

Raman and FTIR fluorescent paint spectra, and second, to look more specifically into 

the degradation aspects. This study focuses on the photochemical accelerated ageing 

test under UV-B light and on the weathering accelerated ageing conditions applied on 

experimental laboratory samples. The characterization of the chemical change of 

materials during the ageing process is assessed with the help of FTIR, colour 

measurement and EDXRF for complementary identification analyses. Severe ageing 

conditions were purposely used, as this can be related to the stressful environment 

surrounding the works of art, in particular graffiti’s exhibited in public places. A short 

list of standard pigments and paints has been drawn according to their use in painting 

(artwork and commercial paints). Tests have been carried out on various paint samples 

of different use and packaging (can, graffiti spray, Posca ink marker) along with the 

investigation into fluorescent paint artworks such as acrylic paint, fluorescent colours 

on paper, screen printing, Day-Glo pigments and graffiti. These investigations have 

shown promising results for both the characterization and the assessment of the photo 

stability of these materials. As preliminary accelerated ageing tests have shown some 

drastic deterioration, could they be further stabilized by UV light absorbers or light 

stabilizers? A few case studies of late XXth century artworks were also included in this 

project and the analyses have confirmed the suspicion about the degradation of 

binders, rather than that of the pigments. 

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Alain COLOMBINI is a conservation scientist at the CICRP. He started his career in 

1983 at the Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques, Paris working as a 

textile scientist. He moved to London in 1989 for an internship of six months at the 

Victoria & Albert Museum. He then worked as a textile conservation scientist at the 

Textile Conservation Studios, Hampton Court Palaces London up to 1993, where he 

worked both on research/study of identification of materials such as fibres and dyes, 

and practical hands-on work on tapestries. He joined the CICRP in 1994 where he 

optimized some analytical techniques such as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, and 

developed research on the behaviour of contemporary art materials facing 

degradations. His most significant involvement to date concerns, polymer alterations 

such as polyurethane, latex and pvc, and more recently, the degradations of 

fluorescent colours. 

Anna Comiotto 

Lecture: Miniaturized Atmospheric Plasma to Improve the Bondability 

and Coatability of Plastics in Modern and Contemporary Art and Design 

Some plastics in modern and contemporary Art and Design, especially non-polar 

polymers, are known to have very bad adhesion properties. Due to a lack of surface 

polarity, their surfaces are difficult to wet, their adhesive bonds have limited tensile 

strength and applied coatings do not possess mechanical resilience. Therefore, durable 

conservation and restoration treatments (e.g. bonding, retouching or consolidation of 

paint 

layers) are often not applicable until this day. The author will provide insight into the 

development of a miniaturized plasma-pen, which can contribute to overcome 

adhesion problems during conservation and restoration treatments. The development of 

this prototype started in 2006 and was completed during a 3-year research project at 

the Department of Conservation and Restoration at the University of Applied Sciences 

Berne in Switzerland. After a short introduction into the field of applications, the setup 

of the plasma equipment will be described. Examination results will be presented that 

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prove the effectiveness of this pre-treatment for enhancing the wettability, bondability 

and coatability of polyethylene (PE-LD, PE-HD), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene 

(PS). Further, experiments to fine-tune this tool with reference to art conservation 

applications are described. Plasma, also referred to as the fourth state of matter, 

provides an opportunity to improve the adhesive qualities of non-polar plastics by pretreating 

the polymer surface. The developed plasma source is tailored to the 

application on heat sensitive thermoplastics and can be operated without vacuum at 

atmospheric pressure. The plasma has a sphere 2 of action within the millimetre-range, 

thereby enabling small-sized and localized surface pre-treatments. The effectiveness of 

this pre-treatment for enhancing the bondability of polyethylene (PELD, PE-HD) and 

polypropylene (PP) was tested by performing tensile shear tests on adhered sample 

joints. To investigate the adhesion improvement of retouchings, the adhesion of 

gouache paint on polyethylene and polystyrene was studied by performing pull-off 

tests. After the plasma pre-treatment was performed, all tested adhesive joints gained a 

significantly enhanced bonding strength and all applied gouache coatings gained a 

considerable mechanical resilience. It is notable that after the plasma-treatment was 

carried out, the application of water-based and water-removable gouache-retouchings 

on hydrophobic plastic surfaces became possible. On water insensitive, but otherwise 

solvent susceptible plastics like polystyrene, plasma treatment can open a new way to 

prevent solvent-induced damages (e.g. solvent induced stress-crazing) and to gain 

reversibility. As proved by surface-sensitive infrared spectrometric analysis (FTIR-ATR) 

the leading chemical mechanism during plasma pre-treatment is surface-oxidation. 

Therefore undesirable side effects on the long-term aging of the pre-treated polymers, 

especially regarding their oxidative stability, have to be excluded. In face of this 

question, an analytical long-term monitoring to observe the future aging of plasmatreated 

polymers was developed. During this monitoring, untreated and plasma treated 

polymer samples are periodically checked with regard to changes in oxidation stability 

and changes in free radical content. To quantify oxidation stability chemiluminescence 

analysis (CL) is 

performed; the radical content is quantified by electron spin resonance (ESR). First 

results 

of this long-term monitoring will be presented, future results will help to fine-tune the 

plasma-pen aiming for a minimal impact on the material integrity of the pre-treated 

plastics. 


Anna Comiotto is associate professor at the Department of Conservation and 

Restoration, Specialization Modern Materials and Media, at the Berne University of the 

Arts. Since 2005 she holds courses with focus on the composition and properties of 

modern polymers, their degradation processes, failure analysis and conservation 

strategies. She is staff member of the laboratory for art technologies and performs 

since 2004 research projects concerning the conservation of plastics in modern and 

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contemporary art. She obtained her diploma as conservator/restorer FH at the Berne 

University of the Arts in 2003. 

Marc Egger 

Lecture: Evaluating a suitable bonding strategy for stress crazing 

suspectible poly(methyl methacrylate) 

It is well known that stress-loaded PMMA can be very susceptible to stress crazing 

when exposed to solvents or monomers containing adhesives. This paper gives an 

insight into different experimental setups that can be used for the development of 

bonding strategies for plastics which are susceptible to stress crazing. Initial point of 

this research study was a breakage damage on an early poly(methyl methacrylate) 

sculpture by Naum Gabo, created in 1937 and titled Construction in Space: Crystal. 

To find a suitable bonding strategy for this sculpture it was necessary to develop and 

apply different experimental setups. First knowledge about internal or external stresses 

frozen-in the sculpture were gained by performing a non-destructive photoelastic 

examination of the sculpture. Then the feasibility of stress releasing by annealing 

PMMA was evaluated among others by measuring the glass transition temperature of 

different naturally aged PMMA reference samples (dated from the late 1930ies to 

2005) with Differential Scanning Calorimetric Analysis (DSC). In addition the stress 

crazing potential of different adhesives was evaluated performing bent-beam tests and 

a long-term monitoring was prepared. Finally the bonding treatment was simulated on 

original-true dummies, produced with the aid of photogrammetry and using computer 

numerically controlled machining equipment (CNC). The overall aim of this study was 

to link research and conservation practice as much as possible. The theoretical and 

experimental part of this study was realized in 2005, the bonding of the breakage 

damage was performed in 2006 and the results of the long-term tests were evaluated 

in 2009. The results of the photoelastic examination and the Differential Scanning 

Calorimetric Analysis (DSC) showed that the sculpture was loaded with internal and 

external stresses and that there were severe drawbacks in regard to apply stress 

releasing by annealing. Annealing has to be performed near but underneath the glass 

transition temperature to prevent shrinking of stress-loaded PMMA. Annealing was out 

of the question, because - as analysed using DSC on reference samples - the glass 

transition temperature of PMMA is not a material specific value and its determination 

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by DSC would have required in this case study unjustifiable sample sizes. In respect to 

this impossibility of stress-releasing further tests were conducted to evaluate the stress 

crazing potential of different adhesives. For this evaluation, bent-beam tests, as they 

are described in DIN and ASTM standards, are modified to simulate the retention time 

of adhesives in adhesive joints. Bent-beam test devices were constructed and used for 

testing the crazing susceptibility of stressed PMMA in contact with different adhesives. 

Finally Plexigum PQ 611, dissolved in isooctane, was evaluated as adhesive with low 

ability to act as stress crazing promoter in long-term contact to PMMA. As last step of 

the experimental part of this study the breakage damage was documented using 

photogrammetry. The measurement data were used to shape original-true dummies, by 

using computer numerically controlled equipment (CNC). At the end the re-bonding of 

the breakage damage was simulated on original-true dummies and performed 

successfully on the original sculpture. 


Marc Egger is since 2004 associate professor at the Department for Conservation and 

Restoration, Specialization Modern Materials and Media at the Berne University of the 

Arts, Switzerland. Besides holding workshops and lectures, he is involved in research 

projects concerning the conservation and restoration of contemporary art. 

After studies in History and Law at the University of Berne, he obtained in 2002 his 

diploma in Conservation and Restoration at the Berne University of the Arts. 

Since then he works part time in his own studio and is specialized in the conservation 

and restoration of contemporary art. 

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Regina Fröhlich 

Lecture: Pedicure for Pesces „Il Piede” 


This report introduces the conservation from an „Up7 , also known as „Il Piede” by the 

italian designer Gaetano Pesce, a oversiszed sculpture of a human foot. The inner 

structure of „Il Piede” consists of Polyurethan foam which is covered with a black 

elastomer. Due to mechanical stress the elastic coating features fissures and blamishs. 

For safing loose fragments of the coating somebody pasted large-scale adhesive tape 

over the surface of „Il Piede”. This privately owned „Il Piede” should be exposed after 

the conservation in a uniform and unbroken condition. Therefore the adhesive tape has 

to be removed, loose aeras of the elastomer have to be consolidated and the lost 

coating has to be replicated. To exept mechanical stress a support plate off a thin but 

still non twisting material has to carry the foam sculptur. 


Will be forwarded as soon as it is available. 

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Susanne Graner 

Lecture: Kuba and Throw Away (working title) 




Susanne Graner trained as a cabinetmaker in Munich from 1992- 1995. After two 

years of internship at the furniture restoration studio of the Prussian Palaces and 

Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg in Potsdam and at a restoration workshop in 

Munich she studied Conservation, Art Technology and Conservation Science at the 

Technical University in Munich (1997 - 2002). Her diploma thesis was about the 

conservation of ” The Lemon Room designed by Bruno Paul in Faber-Castell castle in 

Stein near Nuremberg”. After graduating she worked as a furniture conservator at the 

restoration department of the Bavarian State Conservation Office (2002-2004) and at 

the studio for furniture conservation of the Bavarian Palace Department (2004-2005) in 

Munich. She joined the Conservation Department of Die Neue Sammlung as an objects 

conservator in 2006, specialising in the conservation of early 20th-century furniture. 

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Roger Griffith 

Lecture: Turn it on: Turn it off. Lighting in MOMA’s collection of 

architecture and design 


The interpretation of design objects at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA) 

has continued to change since the inception of the Design Department in 1932. The 

museum’s early history begins by exhibiting lamps as functional objects, illuminated, 

revealing cords and occasionally plugs. More recently, the museum has exhibited 

lamps with cords and plugs removed. Thus viewed as static sculptures, lighted objects 

were routinely displayed unplugged or switched off, highlighting the object’s material, 

manufacture and form but negating its function. Today, the museum has seen a 

renaissance by curators in the desire to exhibit design objects as they were intended to 

function- initiating the concept of electrified design objects to once again include 

essential components such as cords, switches, plugs and bulbs. This paper traces the 

history of lighted design objects from the Architecture and Design collection at MoMA 

and presents case studies, illustrating examples of material, the importance of historic 

components, and examining the consequences of function which raises questions of the 

“useful” life of the object. Many of the lamps in MoMA’s collection have been 

displayed both lit and unlit. Historic images give us clues as to how these objects were 

viewed and how their function was important to the display. During certain periods 

cords and plugs were routinely cut and discarded, highlighting the shift in curatorial 

presentation as these elements were not considered part of the object .,. Additionally, 

lamp design in MoMA’s collection contains a percentage of elements, which are at risk 

to degradation. Exhibition duration for the museum is considerably longer than that of 

general use. For example, gallery hours for a 3-month exhibition add up to 672 hours 

when the object is “on”. During the exhibition, energy from the bulbs can cause 

plastics, paper and textiles to deform and discolor, resulting in irreparable damage. As 

a possible solution to retard some of the degradation of materials and to address 

recent bans on incandescent bulbs, museum design collections are now faced with the 

issues of stockpiling bulbs or replace/retro-fitting lamps with LED (Light Emitting Diodes) 

and Compact Fluorescents. The EU and the United States have instituted a stepwise 

ban of the incandescent bulb. This presentation will aim to outline some of the main 

areas of concern with conservation, historical and curatorial design of display and 

illumination as well as addressing the practical and technical difficulties with the care 

and conservation of lighted design objects. 

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Will be forwarded as soon as it is available 

Katharina Haider 


Lecture: Plastic bags. Research into polyethylene bags of the series 

‚Bicycles’ by Andreas Slominski 

In the mid 1950’s polyethylene (PE) plastic bags were developed and were widely 

spread in Europe and the USA ten years later. It did not take long time until art 

collectors lovers recognised their beauty and started to collect them. Only few years 

ago, the first museum for plastic bags has been established. Moreover, plastic bags 

also find their way into museums via their use in applied arts and fashion design. 

However, plastic bags seem not to have attracted the interest of conservators. Plastic 

bags were almost exclusively made of high or low density polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE). 

Polyethylene readily suffers photo-oxidation, resulting in embrittlement, darkening and 

decrease in molecular weight. Polyethylene films can differ in quality and durability. 

Films used for plastic bags are all or part made of recycled material, which is 

particularly sensitive to UV radiation. They can contain decomposition agents, which 

proceed to decompose when left in the dark after an initial exposure to daylight. 

Polyethylene bags are more oxidised when exposed to mechanical stress. In the series 

“Bicycles” made between 1991 and before 2005 by the German artist Andreas 

Slominski, it was observed that in a museum environment plastic bags can decay 

within less than 20 years. The bicycles are loaded with filled plastic bags, suitcases 

and many other items so they are reminiscent of homeless peoples’ vehicles. Due to 

constant load, daylight and UV radiation some of the bags became brittle, handles, 

seams or bottoms are torn open. Since PE is known for its poor adhesion features, the 

conservation of plastic bags seems to be difficult. Industrial application of techniques to 

increase the surface activity of PE can improve adhesion of glues, paint etc. The 

possibility of adhering plastic bags as a conservation treatment for the oldest artwork 

“Herrenfahrrad’ (1991, Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt/Main) was considered. 

A research was set up in which the tensile strength of the adhesion bond between 

naturally aged plastic bags and adhesives commonly used was tested. In collaboration 

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with the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage (ICN) naturally aged HDPE and 

LDPE bags dated from 1973-1996 were researched. Samples of naturally aged and 

new PE-bags were artificially light aged using an Atlas Xenotest® Alpha chamber. 

Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to follow photo-oxidation by 

measuring the carbonyl absorption during ageing. After 454 hours of artificial light 

ageing, neither a change of the mechanic features, nor a correlation between oxygen 

uptake and embrittlement could be stated. The FT-IR analysis proved that carbonyl 

bonds were present in all bags tested and the amount increased on ageing. The tests 

on tensile and peel strength showed that PE can be adhered as long as the bond is 

strained parallel and no peel strength is applied. Fish glue, Klucel E and Lascaux 360 

HV seem to be appropriate. The oxygen uptake during ageing could explain why 

bonds of a sufficient strength could be archived with common adhesives 

The above mentioned adhesives will be tested further before the plastic bags will be 

restored. 


Katharina Haider was born in 1980 in Munich. After two years of internship at the 

New National Gallery in Berlin she studied conservation, art technology and 

conservation science at Technical University Munich (2003 – 2008). Her final thesis 

was about the conservation of plastic bags. Besides her studies she worked on two 

projects for „Inside Installations“ at the Museum of Modern Art Frankfurt/Main (studies 

on testing methods for light emitting artworks and on the sculpture "Predator" by Greg 

Lynn / Fabian Marcaccio). Form April 2008 till May 2009 she worked as a Timebased 

Media Conservator at Tate Gallery in London. 

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Andreas Holländer 

Lecture: Aging of plastics - What can we do about it? 


Plastics as many other organic material undergo an aging process upon storage. If we 

want to slow down this process or repair the damage, the first thing we need to know 

is what actually happened. Many product properties of plastics result from the fact that 

technical polymer materials are a complex mixture of different molecules. The chains of 

polymer molecules are not uniform but they have a certain length distribution. For 

example, while a typical average molecular weight of polyethylene is in the order of 

some 105 g/mol, there is a considerable fraction of a waxy substance with a 

molecular mass below 1000 g/mol. Beside the regular structure of a polymer, the 

material contains structures, which differ from the simple formula the name is derived 

from. These irregular structures can be chain ends or products of side reactions as e.g. 

branches. In technical materials the properties of the polymers are often modified by 

copolymerization of two or more monomers, by blending, and by adding additives. 

Due to the fact that different polymers, even if they are chemically very similar like e.g. 

PE and PP, do not mix well, copolymerization and blending usually results in a phase 

separation. The composition of such materials is usually not the same at the surface as 

it is in the bulk. Additives are mixed into polymer materials for a number of reasons: to 

stabilize the material (antioxidants, heat stabilizers, light stabilizers), to influence the 

mechanical properties (plasticizer, nucleating agents, impact modifiers), to change 

their appearance (dyes, pigments), to improve the processing properties (mold-release 

agents, anti-blocking agents), and to add properties (flame retardants, antistatic 

agents). These examples illustrate the formidable complexity of real world polymer 

materials. The composition has to meet a number of demands. Very often the long term 

stability has not the highest priority in the list of required properties and it is 

dominated, for example, by the final costs. An aging of such a material can have 

various reasons. They can range from the simple loss of one of the ingredients to 

alterations in the chemical structure of one or more components. Different materials can 

have different aging path ways, even if they appear to be very similar. The 

conservation of the original properties has to account for the specificity of a material. 

In the paper we will try to give some guide lines for the preservation of properties of 

plastics. For example, the loss of volatile additives like plasticizers can be largely 

reduced by a barrier coating with a thickness of some ten nanometers which is not 

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visible and does not alter the tactile properties of an object. In some cases it is 

conceivable to repair the aging, for example, by re-adding lost components or by 

reversing chemical reactions. While some of the procedures seem to be straightforward 

more research is required to make others work. 


- 1984 Chemistry Diploma at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, 

work on polymerization kinetics 

- 1990 PhD in chemistry, Teltow, Germany, work on reactions on polymers and 

the preparation of semiconducting polymers 

- Postdoctoral Fellowship at the École Polytechnique, Montréal, Canada, 

work on plasma technology and vacuum-ultraviolet chemistry of polymer 

- since 1992 at Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung, 

Potsdam, Germany, technology development for surface chemistry 

- since 2000 head of the Surface Technology Group at the 

Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung, Potsdam, Germany 

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Brenda Keneghan 



Brenda Keneghan took her primary degree in Chemistry and her PhD in Materials 

Science and worked for several years in academic research before joining the 

Conservation Department of the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1993. She has 

undertaken an extensive condition survey of the objects made from plastic among the 

various collections of the museum and published the results. Her research interests 

include the degradation mechanisms of synthetic polymers and the use of inhibitors in 

storage. She is a partner in the EU funded project - ‘PopArt’ dealing with the 

preservation of plastic objects in collections. As part of PopArt she is re-surveying part 

of the V&A collection and also investigating cleaning methods for plastics. She was 

also involved in a recent 3 year conservation project on the natural polymer - oriental 

lacquer leading the investigation into scientific aspects of the ageing of lacquer. 

The fourth section of Future Talks 009 will be chaired by Brenda Keneghan 

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Kathrin Kessler 


Lecture: Artists create their artwork with design objects and readymade 

decoration accessories. Conservation challenges within an 

installation by Isa Genzken 

Isa Genzken is a German contemporary sculptor (*1948). In preparation of an 

extensive retrospective about the artist at Museum Ludwig starting in late summer 

2009, curators and conservators were confronted with the fragile and complex art 

work of Isa Genzken, especially in her installation “Kinder filmen” (2005) that belongs 

to the museum’s collection right after its creation, since the end of 2005. “Kinder 

filmen” is created with toys, puppets, furniture, design objects and home decoration 

accessoires. The artist chose these single elements as she found them regardless of 

their age, of their material, of their technical equipment, of their general 

quality/condition, of their manufacturing or of their application, and created with those 

her installation. Plastic materials are found in toys, furniture, technical components and 

in places where no one ever would expect them. The choice of the materials and its 

application in the installation are very important to the artist and the intention of her 

artwork. The artistic independence is crucial not only for the artist but also for the 

curator and conservator at Museum Ludwig. Since the end of 2005 the installation 

belongs to the collection of Museum Ludwig, Cologne. Right from the beginning till 

today the installation needs conservation care and treatment: foam inside a toy 

crumbles, a light chain and other technical equipment fail and plastic elements made 

of Polystyrene (ABS) degrades and causes losses. The talk will describe the history of 

the installation since its arrival at the museum It will also describe the goal of the 

ongoing project to find a common way for the artist, the curator and the conservator 

how to present the installation in future. The talk will also discuss the conservation 

options and approaches, and it will introduce into the final results so far from the 

argumentation between artist, curator and conservator. 


since 11/2005 : Head of Conservation at Museum Ludwig in Cologne 

01/2003 to 10/2005: Conservator at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein 

“AXA Art Conservation project in Cooperation with the Vitra Design Museum” 

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10/2000 to 12/2002: Advanced Fellowship in Objects Conservation at the Isabella 

Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston/USA 

6/1999 to 10/2000: Conservator for wooden objects at the „Landesmuseum für 

Technik und Arbeit“ (Provincial Museum for techniques and work“) in Mannheim. 

9/1994 to 9/1999: Study of restoration and conservation of art and cultural property 

at the University of Applied Science in Cologne, specializing in wooden objects 

Subject of thesis: Celluloid – a material degrades. On the problem of preserving 

objects made of Celluloid. 

Anna Laganà 

Lecture: Mending broken pieces. Investigation into a suitable method 

for adhering damaged works of art made of transparent unsaturated 

polyester 

In 1993 the company Océ acquired two works of art (no title, 1993) by the artist 

Mathilde ter Heijne (1969). Both works consist basically of two parts: a drawing on 

paper made with mixed media, covered by a rectangular 4cm thick transparent 

unsaturated polyester resin (UP) cast frame. Both works are, due to mechanical 

damage, seriously broken into several pieces. Due to ageing the work has yellowed 

considerably, however this discolouration is not the biggest problem. The overall 

damage includes broken and missing parts, chipping off of the polyester from the 

surface, cracks and scratches which gives the artwork a neglected impression. The 

polyester cast frame plays an important role and determines the visual characteristics 

of the artwork and has to be restored to give back the original intention of the artwork 

on exhibition. Unsaturated polyester (UP) resin is well known for its good properties 

such as transparency, excellent electrical insulation, resistance to most solvents and 

weathering but also for a low impact-resistance which is the reason why it’s generally 

reinforced with glass fibre or others reinforcement materials. It is clear , when UP resin 

is used unfilled, it is easily broken when falling. To adhere and reconstruct broken 

transparent polyester resin is not common practice for a modern art conservator. 

Moreover yellowed transparent polyester is more difficult to restore. Therefore 

investigation into the best suitable practical applicable products to adhere and fill 

cracks and losses, had to be performed. Making a new cast of polyester was an 

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option, but was rejected by the owner (Océ Company) who felt that the cast frame was 

an integral part of the original artwork. Research had to include investigation into 

making mock-ups of freshly made polyester resin with and without damages, adhering 

and testing adhesion after artificial ageing. Aged polyester resin objects were bought 

on flee markets and served as ‘yellowed’ mock –ups. Fourier transform infrared 

spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, measuring refractive index, testing adhesion strength and 

colour measurement on all mock-ups were performed, leading to the best appropriate 

adhesive. This adhesive will finally be tested on a broken transparent unsaturated 

polyester sculpture of the study collection of ICN (inventory number XN 775) . To use 

the adhesive first on a study object will give better information of how the broken 

pieces of a yellowed transparent object gives back the original meaning of the 

artwork and the intention of the artist. Preliminary results of the application of the 

tested adhesive to the artworks of Mathilde ter Heijne will be presented at the 

Conference in October. 



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Dana Melchar 


Lecture: Cold war furniture - Globe Chair, adhesion and cohesion: an 

interior problem 

The second half of the twentieth century saw extensive development of materials such 

as plastics, fibreglass and foam for use in furniture. The Globe chair (Circ. 12-1969), 

also known as the Ball chair, was designed by Finnish designer Eero Aarnio and 

exemplifies the use of these materials. It was acquired directly from the manufacturer, 

Asko Furniture Manufacturing Company, by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1969. 

Now, several decades after manufacture, many of the modern materials used in the 

manufacture of the Globe chair have changed in their appearance and material 

properties, requiring radical treatment to enable the chair to be displayed in a state 

representing the designer’s original intent for the V&A exhibition Cold War Modern: 

Design 1945-70. While the glass-fibre reinforced polyester shell had remained stable 

with the external gel-coat suffering only minor abrasions, the appearance within the 

shell had changed dramatically. The interior had begun to hang limply rather than 

maintaining the crisp profile intended by Aarnio. Due to degradation, the adhesive 

applied between the show cover textile and foam under upholstery had failed, leaving 

the textile unsupported, especially noticeable on the top interior of the shell where the 

textile hung down. As the foam still maintains some flexibility when compressed and 

has not degraded into a powdery dust, it was decided that it should be retained and a 

treatment that might enhance the longevity of the foam be considered. Whilst being 

aware that the textile would outlive the foam indefinitely, we aimed to create an option 

enabling future re-treatment and the eventuality of removing degraded foam while 

retaining the show cover. The result of our treatment was a clean, crisp profile on the 

interior of the shell. The original materials have been kept, the shell’s interior profile 

has been restored and the treatment executed anticipates the eventuality of the foam’s 

degradation and replacement while retaining the original show cover textile. 


Dana Melchar is a Senior Furniture Conservator at the Victoria & Albert Museum. As 

a generalist within the Furniture Conservation studio, she works on many different types 

of organic materials including wood, plastic, bone, ivory and turtle shell. She 

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graduated with a Masters of Science in Art Conservation, with a specialization in 

Furniture Conservation, from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art 

Conservation. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from 

Roger Williams University and trained as a cabinet and furniture maker at the North 

Bennet Street School in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Kate Moomaw 

Lecture: A condition survey methodology and database for plastic 

objects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 

In 2008-2009, research was carried out to develop a condition survey methodology 

for plastic objects in the Department of Nineteenth Century, Modern, and 

Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Though this 

department includes some sculptures in plastic materials, design objects make up most 

of the collection for which the survey was developed. Condition surveys are of great 

importance for plastic objects. Plastics conservation as a field is relatively new, as are 

plastic materials themselves, so condition surveys can function to identify new 

conservation problems of plastic objects, directing future conservation research. In 

addition, many plastic materials are unstable and require special preventive 

conservation measures. A condition survey is an important conservation planning tool 

and also serves to document objects before they are altered by degradation, which 

often can be slowed down with preventive conservation measures but not stopped. 

Research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has focused on developing a structured 

condition survey form and a database, which together allow for systematic information 

gathering and searchable data. Searches can be performed to find objects in the same 

specific material or with similar conservation issues, to see what objects are in need of 

special storage conditions, or to determine what objects have high priority needs for 

research or treatment. Both survey tools were developed in-house in the objects 

conservation department using readily available software: Microsoft Word for the 

survey form and Filemaker Pro for the database. These tools were applied to a group 

of 50 of the approximately 200 objects with major plastic components in the 

Nineteenth Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art collection. An overview of these 

survey tools will be presented, and this will include a description of what information 

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should be obtained about plastic objects, at the time of acquisition when possible. The 

importance of analysis to identify plastic materials and the usefulness of examination 

techniques such as ultraviolet-induced fluorescence and spectrophotometry will be 

discussed. In addition, the findings of the survey of 50 objects will be presented, 

including case studies of several of the objects examined with the use of these tools. 

Objects include a deteriorating 1920s cellulose acetate box from the workshop of 

René Lalique, a group of Italian design lamps from the 1960s and 1970s, a 1970s 

Capitello chair manufactured by Gufram in painted polyurethane foam (potentially in 

need of cleaning), and a chaise longue with discolored Technogel cushions by 

designer Werner Aisslinger. Preventive conservation measures that could be put in 

place quickly and at low cost will be discussed, as well as the longer-term preventive 

and interventive conservation needs of the collection. 


Kate Moomaw trained in objects and modern art conservation at the Conservation 

Center of the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, graduating in 2007. She 

has completed a graduate internship at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and a 

Samuel H. Kress Fellowship in the sculpture conservation department at Tate in London. 

In 2008-2009, she has held an Annette de la Renta Fellowship to study plastics 

conservation in the Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation at the 

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In September 2009, she will begin a 

postgraduate fellowship in sculpture conservation at the Hirshhorn Museum and 

Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC. 

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Roisin Morris 


Lecture: Cold War Fashion - The analysis, treatment and preparation of 

a group of costume objects for an exhibition at The Victoria & Albert 

Museum 

This paper focuses on the analysis, treatment and preparation of costume examples by 

three prominent designers from the latter part of the cold war period. Cold War 

Modern - Design 1945-1970, a major exhibition from the Victoria & Albert Museum in 

September 2008, focused on contemporary design, architecture, film and popular 

culture of the era. The exhibition illustrated the recovery following six years of war, 

continued political uncertainty, the consistent threat of nuclear attack and its impact on 

creative and artistic developments. Objects from the show such as the Cosmos 

ensembles by Pierre Cardin, a disk dress by Paco Rabanne and a PVC dress by the 

conceptual artist Stephen Willats will be discussed here. All the costumes have plastic 

elements and represent the influence the space race had on design, and the vision of a 

technologically advanced future which provided new materials to create the space age 

look, popular with designers of the time. As well as ethical discussions raised by 

notions that components of Rabanne and Willats costume could be user-customised, 

the project looked at unstable elements within the costume. Fourier transform infra-red 

spectroscopy (FTIR) and light microscopy were used to examine Rabanne’s dress 

composed of plastic paillettes and the heel tips from the cosmos boots, which proved 

to be an extraordinary example of plasticiser migration. The analysis aided the 

interpretation of the degradation evident and highlighted the treatment options 

available, which are laid out in the case studies. 


I am a textile conservator working in the Furniture, Textiles and Frames section of the 

Conservation department at The Victoria & Albert Museum, I joined the section in 

0ctober 2006. I work on a variety of objects from the museum's collections in 

preparation for display, transport and loan. I have interests in and enjoying working 

on composite objects, embroidered and painted textiles, in addition to objects 

constructed from modern materials. I trained at The Textile Conservation Centre and 

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graduated in 2003 with an MA in Textile Conservation. Following this I was fortunate 

to undertake a series contracts in the UK and Denmark. 

Barbara Schertel 

Lecture: Meeting the needs of contemporary design: A new survey 

methodology. 

SFMOMA is undertaking a detailed survey of the 3-D objects in the Architecture and 

Design collection as part of its long term preservation plan. This includes furniture, 

lighting, architectural models and design objects. Surveys are a starting point in 

understanding the needs of a collection prior to the actual treatment. Fundamental 

shifts in design have occurred since the mid 20th century due to new computer based 

technologies as well as new materials such as degradable plastics. These changes are 

reflected in the new developments in design such as interactive design (BlackBerries) 

and conceptual objects like the installations by Diller & Scofidio. All of which are 

having a significant impact on how to treat objects for conservators. This A&D survey 

tries to capture these changes and new potential risks that might prevent the design 

objects from being exhibited in the future. Plastic and ephemeral materials are 

certainly a key element in determining the condition of an object in a collection of 

modern and contemporary design. New aspects that can be central to the health of an 

object will be covered in the survey: 

Consumable parts: The ‘Chandelier 85 Lamps’ by Rody Grauman is formed by a 

grouping of 85 associated sockets, cords and bulbs, which form the chandelier. The 

light bulbs -a consumable component- comprise the central element in the object. 

Without them, the chandelier can not be truly displayed. A preservation plan will 

incorporate the possible obsolescence of the specific bulb. 

Instructions: If instructions are lost the design installation ‘Bad Press’ by Diller & 

Scofidio cannot be shown.This installation exists in parts including two single channel 

video works and custom ironed shirts. Its transformation to its complete presentation 

relies on instructions and operations. 

Manuals: For many software based objects the manual is intrinsic to the technology of 

the piece e.g. Apple’s iPhone. From its shape the function of the object is not readable. 

Hence, its manual is indispensable in order to experience its full functionality for the 

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user and for a museum to display it accordingly. 

Designer’s intent: In 1997 SFMOMA acquired Gaetano Pesce’s “Drape Wall Lamps”. 

Each of the four lamps consists of a colored resin sheet draped over a mount with a 

custom made incandescent light socket. Incandescent bulbs will become obsolete and 

be replaced by energy saving light bulbs (CFL). CFL bulbs have a different shape and 

provide a different light. This will have an significant impact on the appearance of the 

piece. 

Packing: Many of the objects in the A&D collection are mass produced objects and 

many of them come into the collection with their original packing. As a result the 

conservator is confronted with the following questions: Will the meaning of the object 

be lost if the packaging is not kept? Is this packing a design objects in itself? and Is this 

important for future research or display? The field of the conservation of contemporary 

design will benefit from this new methodology of surveying through new survey 

templates that will be available through the SFMOMA website. 


Barbara Schertel graduated from the London Metropolitan University with a HND in 

Furniture Restoration and a BSc in Conservation in 2004. In 2006 she obtained a MA 

in Furniture Conservation at the joint program of the Royal College of Art and the 

Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Currently she is the advanced fellow in 

contemporary art in the conservation department of the San Francisco Museum of 

Modern Art and undertakes a survey of the 3 dimensional Architecture and Design 

collection. 

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Yvonne Shashoua 

Lecture: The Price of Pristine PMMA 


Although all surveys of the condition of plastics conducted in museums in the United 

Kingdom and Scandinavia since the 1990s conclude that approximately 75% of 

collections require cleaning, few treatments have been developed. This is mainly due 

to the high risk of damaging plastics mechanically or chemically with an invasive 

cleaning treatment. Plastics with a glass transition temperature close to ambient, 

including polyethylene and plasticized polyvinyl chloride, are readily abraded by 

contact with brushes, cloths and sponges. Solvents and detergents in commercial 

cleaning products can extract additives from plastics or induce environmental stress 

cracking in rigid plastics such as polystyrene, polycarbonate and polymethyl 

methacrylate. Despite the high risks, removal of oily fingerprints, carbonaceous dirt or 

crystalline degradation products is necessary because they reduce the significance and 

commercial value of artworks and objects. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), known 

widely as Plexiglas or Perspex has been used commercially to manufacture designer 

furniture, aircraft windscreens, mathematical instruments, contact lenses and dental 

appliances as well as artworks. As a result, PMMA is found in industrial, modern 

history, technical museum and art collections. Although literature addressing 

conservation of PMMA is sparse, cleaning agents and procedures have been 

developed as aftercare for industrial products constructed from the plastic. These were 

studied. The physical and chemical changes induced by applying mechanical, 

aqueous and solvent-based cleaning techniques to cast and extruded model PMMA 

were examined in order to examine any degradation introduced. Mechanical cleaning 

techniques included vacuum cleaning, microfibre cloths, synthetic and natural hair 

brushes, washing leather, various woven cloths, cotton wool and lens tissue. Aqueous 

cleaning involved application of water, detergents and commercial solutions, pastes 

and sprays. A range of single solvents were also applied to investigate any changes 

induced at PMMA surfaces. In order to clean effectively, liquid agents need to make 

close contact or wet plastics surfaces. Determining the contact angle between the 

leading edge of a droplet of cleaning agent and PMMA was measured and 

demineralised water was found to make the poorest contact while ethanol wetted 

readily. Physical degradation induced by cleaning was examined using optical 

microscopy, change in gloss and colour measurements while chemical changes at 

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surfaces including the deposition of residues were examined using Attenuated Total 

Reflection- FTIR spectroscopy. The change in stresses introduced by cleaning was 

examined on macro and micro scales using photoelasticity also known as polarized 

stress analysis. 

Initial results suggest that microfibre cloths readily scratch new PMMA while lens tissue 

produces no measurable degradation. Some commercial cleaning sprays deposit a 

visible residue while solvents, particularly acetone, introduce stress cracking. This 

project is at an early stage. Future research will investigate the use of new cleaning 

agents such as CO2 snow and supercritical liquid and the effectiveness of nondamaging 

cleaning treatments to remove oily and carbonaceous soils. 

The third section of Future Talks 009 will be chaired by Yvonne Shashoua. 


Yvonne Shashoua has been a Senior Researcher at the National Museum of Denmark 

investigating the degradation and conservation of plastics since 2001. After 

graduating in industrial chemistry she worked as a paint technologist for Berger Paints 

in England. She joined the British Museum as a conservation scientist in 1988, 

specialising in the deterioration reactions and conservation of cellulose nitrate, 

cellulose acetate and rubber. She has 70 publications including a monograph 

´Conservation of Plastics-materials science, degradation and conservation´ published 

by Elsevier in 2008. Yvonne Shashoua was coordinator of ICOM-CC´s working group 

Modern Materials and Contemporary Art until 2008. 

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Lucia Toniolo 

Lecture: Caring for design objects: daily practice and advanced 

analytical tools 


A collaboration between the Triennale Design Museum of Milano recently established 

(www.triennaledesignmuseum.it) and the university (Politecnico di Milan) has been 

created in order to face the different aspects in caring the wide network collection of 

the Triennale. Conservation and restoration problems are arising daily questions on 

material knowledge and degradation patterns. The present work focuses on the 

knowledge of the collection, in order to highlight very urgent cases; 23 objects of the 

collection (design icons) have been selected and examined producing condition 

reports and a careful analysis of constituting materials and their state of preservation. 

The general aims of the collaboration project are: 

To elaborate a ‘condition report’ form for the Museum and a simple lexicon for the 

degradation patterns which are more diffused. To elaborate a study protocol for the 

material characterization, with particular attention to the polymer matrix and additives 

and to the degradation patterns of different polymers. To propose useful guidelines for 

immediate museum conservation practice. To suggest and plan adequate preventive 

conservation treatment and develop innovative techniques for the protection and long 

term stabilisation of objects. In this paper the general findings of the project and the 

specific needs of the Triennale collection will be presented together with the case study 

of the Taraxacum lamp, that will be discussed in details. Taraxacum is an italian 

design icon produced by Flos in 1959, designed by Achille & Pier Giacomo 

Castiglioni. The polymeric material indicated by the producer is unknown but the 

object’s state of conservation is worrying. The lamp of the museum collection presents 

different degradation patterns, deposition of dusts, microfractures, discolouring, 

extended tears on the polymeric surface. Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses are 

in progress, as well as the research about the original material. 



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Friederike Waentig 

Lecture: Conserving GDR-plastics (working title) 


The second section of Future Talks 009 will be chaired by Friederike Waentig. 



Professor for the Conservation of Wooden Artifacts and Modern Materials at the 

University of Applied Sciences Cologne. She was previously: Senior Conservator at the 

Art and Exhibition Hall,Bonn; Conservator at the Conservation Center Düsseldorf; 

Conservator at the Museum for Appied Art Cologne. She obtained her degree at the 

Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg majoring in Heritage Preservation, with minor 

studies in folklore and building history. Her Ph.D. thesis was entitled “Synthetic 

Materials in Art: research from the conservation point of view”. Her Master’s thesis in 

Heritage Preservation, Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg, was “Technical and Industrial 

Monuments – Definition, History and Preservation” and her Master’s degree from the 

University of Applied Sciences Cologne, was on Conservation specialising in Wooden 

Artifacts. She spent a practical semester in East-Berlin (former GDR) at the Museum for 

Applied Art Berlin and wrote a thesis: ” History of Furniture Coatings in the 20th 

Century - especially the Coatings of the Bauhaus-Time. 

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Delia Mueller-Wuesten 

Lecture: Ti3d by Marcel Breuer - an exposure with surprises. 


This example from the restoration practice shows how important detailed examinations 

are. Even though scientific methods like x-ray and FTIR spectroscopy are used only a 

deeper look into the object if need be by opening up covered parts could reveal the 

truth. 

Marcel Breuer designed the chair ti3d together with the children’s chairs ti3a and ti3b 

as a student at the Bauhaus Weimar in 1923. All chairs were painted in a 

combination of two of the three colours grey, red and white. One colour was used for 

the wooden frame, the other for the seat and back which are made of plywood. When 

the chair from the Bauhausarchiv Berlin came to the University of Applied Sciences 

Cologne in 2001 it was painted all white. Research showed that Hinnerk and Lou 

Scheper - both students at the Bauhaus Weimar - bought the chair in the 1920s. As the 

Scheper family owned the object until they gave it to the Bauhausarchiv, the Schepers 

themselves or their relatives must have painted it over. A detailed examination of the 

paintlayers with embeddings and FTIR spectroscopy showed that the frame was 

originally painted grey and the seat and the back were painted white. Furthermore, 

the original layers were based upon linseed oil while the overpaintings were based on 

alkyd resin. Because the shape of the seat differed from the ones of other ti3ds the 

idea came up that the seat and the back were later additions. But as examinations with 

x-ray did not show traces of removed nails and due to the fact that the wooden 

surfaces were covered with linseed oil based paint this assumption was discarded 

again. After long discussions the owner, the tutors and the student presently working 

on the object decided to remove the overpainting in order to make Breuer’s intentions 

of a two colour system visible again. A solvent paste was developed to detach the 

alkyd resin layers. While the removal showed good results on the frame the 

detachment on the seat and the back did not work out well. It proved that the alkyd 

resin layers could not be distinguished from the linseed oil based ones. An optical 

comparison of the overpainting on the frame and the back showed great similarities 

between the layers. As there was no further layer underneath there was a justifiable 

doubt about the validity of the results based on x-ray and FTIR spectroscopy and the 

idea of a renewed back and seat came up again. Because of that these two plywood 

boards were removed and underneath traces of a second and therefore former nailing 

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were discovered. The detachment of the paintlayers on the seat and back was stopped 

immediately and further examinations shall bring clarity about these parts and the 

history of the chair. 



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FUTURE TALKS 009 The Conservation of Modern Materials in ...

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