ZURICH.- Over a six-month period, the Kunsthaus Zürich is restoring a Futurist masterpiece. The dynamic composition, which is partly being preserved using an algae-based adhesive, will be on show again from November.

Giacomo Balla painted ‘Velocità d’Automobile + Luce + Rumore’ in around 1913 in the Futurist style. His aim was to represent speed on a two-dimensional surface. Balla (1871–1958), one of the co-founders of Futurism, took the radically modern, technical and dynamic content of Marinetti’s ‘Futurist Manifesto’ (1909) and transposed it into an appropriate visual idiom. Bearing the influence of photodynamic images, the work set out to create a total impression that appeals to all the senses simultaneously. The painting, whose English title is ‘Automobile Speed + Light + Noise’, was acquired direct from the artist in 1951 following the ‘Futurismo e Pittura Metafisica’ exhibition at the Kunsthaus Zürich a year earlier, and had since been displayed almost without interruption.

FRAGILE DUE TO AGE
Owing to the ‘dry’ and very matt painting technique used and the lack of sufficient binding agent, the work quickly began to age despite being held under museum conditions. The Kunsthaus restorers were alarmed by the countless minute areas of paint loss, flaking and lifting. The work – a key example of artistic engagement with mobility and perspective – had to be removed from the collection.

READY FOR INSPECTION ONCE AGAIN
The canvas, which measures 87 x 130 cm, has been in the restoration workshop since March 2016. The top priority has been to preserve it in its current condition and prevent further damage. Large areas of the surface, which was painted using distemper, need to be stabilized and secured without saturating and darkening the colour or causing unwanted glossiness. Small areas of paint loss will then be coloured to match the surrounding paintwork and improve the overall aesthetic impression. The primary aim is to preserve the painting and return it to a condition in which it can be transported. Despite the restoration, however, it will remain delicate and should still only rarely travel to exhibitions.

CONSERVATION USING NATURAL PRODUCTS
Balla painted his picture using white and black distemper direct on the unprimed canvas. He applied the black, which consists of carbon black, vermilion, chrome yellow and zinc white, in very diluted form, leaving the canvas visible in a number of places. In most cases, the white and the grey tones were applied more thickly, achieving better coverage. A comprehensive investigation of the painting’s condition using a stereomicroscope revealed that the black paintwork required consolidation not just locally but over large areas. Owing to the very delicate and sensitive nature of the surface, the extensive tests were initially carried out on specially prepared dummy areas before moving on to the original painting. The dummies replicated the original, with diluted black distemper being applied to a canvas. Ultimately, a combination of JunFunori and sturgeon glue proved to be most suitable for consolidating the matt paintwork. JunFunori (pure Funori) is an adhesive prepared from algae that produces very good results when consolidating matt paint layers and is traditionally used in Japanese paper restoration. This mixture was sprayed on the areas at risk in a number of passes using an ultrasonic nebulizer, which converts the liquid adhesive into a very fine mist. The adhesive strength of this mixture was insufficient for the white, more impasto areas of paint, which were individually treated with a brush under the microscope.

ON SHOW AGAIN FROM NOVEMBER
In ‘Automobile Speed + Light + Noise’, Giacomo Balla expresses his enthusiasm for the automobile as a synonym for modernity and symbol of movement and constant change. Responsibility for restoring this ‘object of desire’ lies with Viola Möckel, a restorer at the Kunsthaus. The analysis of the paint materials was conducted by the Swiss Institute for Art Research SIK-ISEA. The restoration continues until the end of October 2016 and is being carried out with generous support from Helvetia Insurance. From November, visitors will once again be able to hone their perception of cars, light and noise from the original – at their own leisurely pace. Until then, the restoration can be followed at www.kunsthaus.ch.