Plumbing pipe across Malangatana’s mural “a gross attack on the arts” – Minister

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Plumbing pipe across Malangatana’s mural “a gross attack on the arts” – Minister

12:09 CAT | 24 Nov 2017

O País / The restoration of the mural will be undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Eduardo Mondlane University.

The Malangatana mural in University Eduardo Mondlane, which was recently pierced to make way for plumbing pipes, was visited last week by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Silva Dunduro, following strong criticism from segments of society deploring the treatment work had been subjected to.

During the visit to the mural, Dunduro expressed himself aggrieved with “the trivialisation of the work”, and called the action “a gross attack on the arts”.

According to information from official sources, “the restoration of the mural will be undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Eduardo Mondlane University”.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has already despatched an expert to the site to establish what interventions need to be carried out to repair the damage caused to the mural.

According to Afonso Malace, National Museum of Art curator and conservation and restoration specialist, the mural must undergo complete restoration, because “beyond the holes, there are gaps in the chromatic layer, which should be addressed”.

That specialist said he was currently taking stock of what needed doing, and highlighted the complexity of the process.

“We have to look for materials similar to or the same as those used in the original work. A mural is different from a canvas: it requires a special and rigorous treatment, because of the nature of its support,” he explained.

The photographic documentation of the restoration process; fixing the chromatic layer; surface cleaning; filling of the faults in the support; completeness and integration of support; support planning; filling and integration of the chromatic layer faults; retouching and integration of the face chromatic layer; harmonization and, finally, the application of protection are the steps that, according to that specialist, will be followed in the process of restoration.

The mural was painted in 1998.

Source: O País