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Bags:  "An important international collaboration for the Civic Museums and a precious opportunity to carry forward research on restoration" - The intervention in collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles and the La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Center -  

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​​​​​​​Milan, 13 March 2023 — The Museo del Novecento and the Museum of Cultures of Milan (Mudec) have started the restoration project of "Artificial Giraffe" by Gino Marotta in collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Center (CCR ). The work is three meters high, is made of transparent pink polymethyl methacrylate and is part of the series of animal sculptures created by the artist in the 1960s and 1970s.

Getty Conservation Institute, through the research project coordinator Anna Laganà (GCI), has been collaborating since 2016 with the Museo del Novecento in Milan, which has made "Artificial Giraffe", owned by the museum itself, available as a case study. The work will be restored at the Mudec restoration laboratory and upon completion of the work, at the end of April, it will be exhibited at the Natural History Museum of Milan as part of the "Rainbow" program, with free entry.

The project focuses on the conservation of plastic materials, in particular transparent polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a medium used by many contemporary artists. The conservation of this type of plastic presents numerous challenges, including the difficulty of restoring its transparency and that of identifying restoration materials that do not affect its integrity. Getty, Museo del Novecento, CCR and Mudec will collaborate to apply the research carried out by the GCI on the conservation of plastic materials and to disseminate methodologies for the conservation of contemporary works through training events and new communication channels dedicated to professionals and students of the sector, as well as to the museum public.

The Mudec restoration laboratory, usually not accessible, will in fact be open to the public on 16 March, 30 March and 13 April (18 pm): visitors will be able to enter and learn about the main phases of the conservation project and the innovative techniques used, guided by the project coordinator.

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Furthermore, on 17 March, 31 March and 14 April, at the restoration laboratory and the Space of Cultures of Mudec, a workshop open to 20 restorers will take place, dedicated to the conservation of plastic materials and led by the restoration manager Anna Laganà ( GCI) in collaboration with Marco Demmelbauer (CCR).

"The collaboration between the civic museums of Milan, the Getty of Los Angeles and La Venaria Reale represents an important step forward in the conservation of plastic materials in contemporary art and testifies to the synergy between our museums and prestigious international realities – declared the culture councilor Tommaso Sacchi –. We are proud of this collaborative project which continues the important work to guarantee the conservation and use of works of art for the benefit of future generations".