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Contenuto archiviato il 2022-12-23

Artwork conservation by Laser

Obiettivo

A.BACKGROUND

The COST Action "Artwork Conservation by Laser" responds to a public concern about the progressive deterioration of our cultural heritage. Moreover, the topic is in concordance with the tasks of the national research programs. Thematic came as a direct consequence of working in multidisciplinary teams (physicists, optical scientist, chemists, restaurateurs, history of art, curators etc.) and European wide research collaborations.

The action was conceived to solve problems and to respond to the major socio-economic challenges facing Europe. The program has clear targets: to increase the scientific potential of restoration operations and create new jobs in Europe. These are to be achieved by sustaining the innovation effort of European research towards improved competitiveness. The action focuses on the technologies and equipment for designing and producing high-quality services, which are safe, and effective in the artwork scenario.

This goes hand in hand with the development of material with specific qualities, reliable measurements and testing methods and optimal use of specific research infrastructure. The Action includes research activities, in particular projects that will enhance the industrial base, create expertise to provide services within Europe and world-wide thereby, stimulating European added value and supporting European competitiveness.

"Artwork Conservation by Laser" is in accordance with one of the thematic programs of the Fifth (EC) RTD Framework Program called "Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development" - Key Action "City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage". Although this supports multinational collaboration, it does not provide the flexibility which exist within the COST Program to offer a better and wider cooperation as well as the flexibility for including additional partners and the adoption of new concept and work program deemed necessary during the course of the Action.

Some of the partners have had involvement in different projects within the Eureka Program. It transpired that the projects in this field (e.g. RESTORE, CLEANART, EUROCARE, ARTSURVIVE) were primarily dedicated to technological development and did not allow much scope for basic research. Preliminary results in some cases show the weakness of technological development and the need for basic research (especially some aspects concerning laser interaction with specific materials and the stability of the restoration results in time, polychrome stability etc.). From the above considerations the COST Program is considered to be most suitable to bring together different expertise distributed across the European countries. Additionally, this project within the COST action will allow establishment of good cooperation for the knowledge and technology exchange within the regional, national or European projects.

Although the conservation of artwork and monuments is a global problem, it is within Europe that the challenge for innovation must lie, because a simple statistic in the UNESCO list of monuments emphasises the fact that a huge part of it concerns European interest. Moreover, it is well known that this list includes just a small part of the monuments of great interest in Europe. The diagram indicates the European priority, especially, in artistic and historical objectives.

Making use of the knowledge and technologies developed by this program will make it possible to meet a wide range of social and economic needs so reconciling economic development with environmental sustainability. The results support policies formulated at European level or deriving from international commitments.

This Action, a frame for scientific and technical cooperation, consists of basic and pre-competitive research as well as activities of public utility. It is expected to stimulate innovation and the museum's participation, small laboratories of restoration, specialised firms for evaluation and authentication.

The Action finds new possibilities for human potential. The Action creates a direct modality to disseminate the achievements from different research projects through the precise group of co-workers and potential end-users at the same time having a feedback in real-time. The research projects will be accompanied by other activities like training courses, workshops and thematic networking.

Laser techniques open many unique possibilities of diagnosis and restoration. The very important advantages of these kinds of methods recommend the laser beam like a modern and versatile tool.

COST Action "Artwork Conservation by Laser" is programmed to address challenges in three main directions: Laser Systems for Investigation and Diagnosis; Laser Equipment for Monitoring of Artworks Environmental Pollution in Real-time; Laser Cleaning Systems.

A very important contribution of the proposed New COST Action is its interest for the prevention of cultural heritage deterioration. In this idea, some work on the environmental quality for the indoor and outdoor atmosphere is proposed to be study in parallel with restoration and conservation techniques. It is counter productive to spend a great deal of effort for restoration and conservation without taking action for the: prevention against future damages. The necessary endowments, human resources, the experience in field are presented in the partners' profiles.

Laser Systems for Investigation and Diagnosis

The Conservation of art objects must always be preceded by diagnosis of the state of the object and the study of the causes of their degradation. Conservation measurements should only be taken once these causes and effects are detected and understood. These two aspects are integral to the conservation of artworks and antiquities.

Important analytical information can be obtained using the immediate switching between several imaging modes and the comparative evaluation between them. Image areas having the same colour appearance in the visible, but different chemical composition can be discriminated in other imaging modes, based on the existing differences in their spectral characteristics. The system operates as an imaging colorimeter of diffuse reflection, fluorescence and false-colour infrared. Real-time imaging enables the restorer to carry out restoration activities while simultaneously inspecting the object on the computer monitor using the fluorescence, UV or NIR image of the area of interest. Magnifications, as well as optical and digital contrast enhancement will allow maximum precision in the treatment process. Expected technique includes image restoration and pattern recognition, remote sensing, data fusion and robotics. The strong interaction between those fields of activities and the experts concerned is the originality of some partners.

Laser Multicolour Holography for Artwork Restoration, Conservation and Certification of Authenticity is one of the main techniques involved in this direction and includes:

-Development of methods and techniques of Artwork Restoration and Conservation on the base of Laser Multicolour Holography (LMCH).

-Development of an easy-to-use interferometric holographic technique for recognising genuine pieces of art from fakes. Release of Holo-tags certifying authenticity..

Other groups will work in Laser-Doppler techniques of investigation, photo-thermal analysis, spectroscopy and fluorescence.

Laser Equipment for Monitoring of Artworks Environmental Pollution in Real-time

The objectives of this research COST Action with two new research methods based on optical absorption and fluorescence for the remote and not-invasive continuous laser monitoring of air pollutants and for the analysis of stained glass windows on site, will be developed and applied. For example, historical stained glass windows are continuously being threatened by many different chemical, physical, biological and mechanical weathering factors which may lead to different corrosion phenomena, internal stress, microbial presence, mechanical damage of all kind, etc. Laser techniques eliminate limited classic methods and reduce the risks of error. Of course, the project will have in view not only stained glass but also other type of decorations and art pieces.

Besides the possible aesthetic changes caused to the building and the windows, one of the basic principles of this research is the fact that the total isolation of a historical building, as a result of the installation of outer glazing-systems, may also lead to some relevant changes on climatic and physical aspects like the air quality (concentration of pollutants) and the temperature and relative humidity levels inside the building.

Only by multidisciplinary research (prolonged measurements on site, a detailed study of these parameters and simulation tests in a laboratory), a better understanding of the environmental conditions inside the building and the correlation between all the risk parameters can be obtain. Remedies and new improvements, both passive and active, to the conservation of artworks and antiquities could be provided.

The main activities included in the programme are:

-An assessment of the correlation between different materials (glass, stone, ceramics, paper, textile) decay and the presence of different weathering factors, both inside and outside the building, will be carried out.

-Data of the different risk parameters inside and outside a few historical monuments obtained on site, using complementary methods: to detect the presence of air pollutants inside and outside the monument, a continuous laser monitoring device will be developed and applied. This system is supposed to monitor Ozone, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide and Carbon Dioxide. To get valuable information on the state of conservation of historical glasses without having to dismantle them, a new fluorosensor device will also be developed and applied.

The measurements will be carried out during the period of at least one year in order to determine the role that the different weathering factors (visitors, candles, heating and air-conditioning systems, infiltration of polluted air from the outside, daily and seasonal oscillations in the temperature and relative humidity inside the monument etc.).

Laser Systems for Cleaning of Small Fine Art Pieces

The Action offers methods and equipment for specialised restoration laboratories, which will apply laser technique for delicate surfaces cleaning and for the fine operation of reconstruction of the form. Main advantages of the laser cleaning technique are: limited action in time and space, clean technique, patient method, limited risk, direct participation of the user in the process.

Limited action in time and space - because this technique works only over the selected small point on the art piece surface and cannot attack the neighbourhood of the point. This aspect is not assured by mechanical methods of cleaning. It must be emphasised that the mechanical method accuracy is established by the dimensions of the tools, by the deftness of the user and often, accidentally attacks on other close zones. At the same time, laser cleaning works just during the commanded operation, and not later like all chemical methods.

Clean technique - because it does not need other materials, or preliminary complicated treatments.

Patient method - having in view that the process of cleaning can be stopped when the user wish and the object is not affected by a longer or a shorter process. Having no chemical share included in the cleaning mechanism or other elements which must be correlated, the method can wait until the properly moment and accept a different regime of work.

Limited risk - in comparison with other techniques it is obvious that this method does not expose the object to deterioration. The maximum surface that can be irradiated is in the same range as a like focused laser beam.

Direct participation of the user in the process - the laser microscope upgraded with video camera and display with high dimensions increases the user's decision act and the deep understanding of the local phenomena.

B.OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS

The main objective of the Action is to increase the knowledge required for the designing and producing of means for artworks and antiquities conservation using laser techniques, to facilitate a unitary strategy in artwork and antiquities conservation.

The objectives of this new COST Action have in view to develop methods and equipment for the modern unitary concept of investigation, restoration and protection. The advanced results from material science and physics sustain the feasibility to promote this action. The researchers can offer methods and equipment with limited risk of wrong using, without damage the pieces. These activities will improve the equipment and methods with accessible costs; techniques that allow witness proofs, analysis of the surface stability in time, laser system for pollution monitoring around the objects.

New curriculums in modern school of restoration are one of the secondary objectives. It will be based on the traditional school of restoration and will complete them, but not replace them.

The benefits of the action are expected to be of different sorts: social, technical and, finally, commercial.

The benefits of the action will be numerous across European countries due to the specific of the direction of work. The cultural heritage values protections are, like the environment policy and health policy, one of the main objectives of the national research strategies. This COST Action will run because of international participation and will save international values. It is obvious that cultural heritage must be protected using modern techniques and highly specialised personnel having in view that each piece is unique like a human being and belongs to all of us like the environment and is part of our common history.

Direct technical benefits are the efficiently resulted techniques and the respective protocols of work, desirable by technicians and curators, and which will produce an important economy of time and money. The new efficient techniques of conservation and monitoring are favourable for the long-term restoration periodicity.

Innovative aspects of the proposal will create new products and will contribute to an efficient way of participation on the international market, as well as stimulate export potential.

The action will stimulate the technology transfer between the research centres and related industry or museums and conservation laboratories.

C.SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME

The programme is designed to ensure that the requirements of all of the major Restoration Laboratories from the biggest museums and national centres of restoration to the small and medium size museums and private art galleries are covered. To this end the scientific programme will encompass the following:

-Development of laser techniques for the restoration of different kinds of materials.

-Elaboration of treatments for restoration with performed possibilities of preliminary control of the commended action.

-Implement techniques to allow witness proofs (for scientific comments, for professional testing, for the individual card of the piece, for insurance etc.).

-Design and develop multitask equipment for restoration.

-Design equipment with variable geometry (portable and adaptable to the outdoor works).

-Adopt methodologies for laser decontamination and biological attack removal.

-Study of the surface stability in time.

-Determination of damage threshold to prevent side effects in laser cleaning stones.

-Prediction system of surface damage.

-Laser system for pollution monitoring around outdoor monuments.

Laser safety considerations will be an integral part of the above processes and instrumentation and will respect the international standards and admissible limits of irradiation (specified by ISO, IEC and ANSI).

Research will be carried out to obtain information about the local phenomena during the laser cleaning process that are also applicable to large surface cleaning, too.

Diagnosis and Characterisation

Innovative techniques based on many aspects of laser interaction with materials will be evaluated for this aspect of the scientific program. These will include using laser-induced fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy, laser induced photo-ionisation spectroscopy, photo-thermal deflection spectroscopy, reflection spectroscopy etc. Various aspect of these interaction processes will be addressed such as, the time correlated studies, depolarisation phenomena, laser wavelength and intensity dependent linear and non-linear effects etc. Results of such studies will be used to create a database and used to select appropriate methods of diagnosis of the state of the target objects and its changes during laser cleaning process. Each aspect of the work program will be allocated to a laboratory specialised in relevant work and equipped with the necessary instruments. It is envisaged that optical diagnosis techniques will allow a non-invasive method that may also be implemented remotely. The latter will allow flexibility of diagnosis and characterisation in situ, which is not afforded with the conventional techniques for artwork inspection and restoration.

Validation

The optical techniques need to be compared with the established invasive techniques before such techniques could be adopted as an indicator of the laser cleaning process. For this a program of scientific research will be adopted to evaluate the accuracy, sensitivity, reproducibility and the effects of many environmental and instrumental parameters. This will involve chemical and mechanical techniques and to some extent visual techniques by experts.

Interaction of lasers with materials

This part of the work will involve all the phenomena included in the diagnosis work but aimed at primarily photo-chemical/thermal interaction processes. The process of laser ablation of material will be studied which will include the multi-photon ionization process and photo-thermal interaction. The effects on various material types on the laser wavelength, power density and pulse duration will be analysed. Such analysis will involve both spectral and temporal analysis of the interaction processes.

One aspect of this programme will be to make an in-depth study of the constituents of the atmosphere around the art objects. For this, conventional monitoring techniques are considered to be inadequate and new, innovative and cost-effective optical technologies will be researched and developed. A systematic study of the constituents of the environment of the target objects, their seasonal and daily variations and how these interact with the target object will be evaluated. The database thus created will be used to design model instrumentation for automatic control of the atmosphere of the target object and/or provide early warning.

D.ORGANISATION AND TIMETABLE

D.1.ORGANISATION

The Scientific Committee will coordinate the scientific objectives and the research program of the partnership as a whole and monitor/review progress through annual meetings.

An Editorial Board will be elected at the first workshop. This Editorial Board will edit the Annual Scientific Reports and the Final Report.

Three working groups under the broad headings of Laser Systems for Cleaning, Laser Systems for Investigation and Diagnosis, Laser Equipment for Monitoring of Artworks Environmental Pollution in Real-time will be set up, each with a nominated coordinator, who will be a member of the Management Committee. These groups will report to the Management Committee of the Action.

The Action "Artwork Conservation by Laser" will be a four-years program for all Working Groups. Progress will be reported annually to the Management Committee.

The Working Group and Work Packages Coordinators will issue annual technical reports. The proposed bar chart is shown in the following table.

D.2. TIMETABLE

E.ECONOMIC DIMENSION

The following COST countries have either actively participated in the presentation of the new action or otherwise indicated their interest: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

On the basis of national estimates provided by the representatives of these countries and taking into account the coordination costs to be covered from the COST budget of the European Commission, the overall costs of the activities have been estimated, based on 1999 prices, at EUR 10 million.

This estimate is valid under the assumption that only the countries mentioned above, will participate in the Action. Any additional participants will change the total cost accordingly.

F.DISSEMINATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESULTS

Actions:

-Results of research carried out by the working groups under New COST Action will be submitted to international scientific journals and reviews. Annual report will be published like independent volume and a large synthesis will be published in Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials or in other scientific reviews with a relevant impact coefficient (see Current Contents list). Also, a dedicated scientific book collection will be created.

-In a home page (World Wide Web) of the Action, the partners will present the objectives and the progresses of their work.

-Finally, participants will collaborate for a scientific documentary film production.

-Joint meetings (symposiums) among different groups in this New COST Action and with other participants will be organised to promote interdisciplinary exchanges of information, to create new projects in international programs and to create new jobs and perspectives for young researchers.

-Summer Schools of Artwork Conservation by Laser organised in the third and last year (fifth year).

This COST Action - "Artwork Conservation by Laser" is one of the most suitable activities to demonstrate the real connection between the high technology field and humanistic sciences. Obviously, the main win of this action is in European cultural dimension. The image database and the results of the study will contribute to the construction of a virtual European Museum.

Annually the Management Committee will set up a work-plan and subjects for a Summer School in the field of the proposed Action.

Argomento(i)

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