A review of the Fine Arts Restoration Program of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

The restoration of large-format works of art is often a huge feat that can only be realized with special financial support. As in the case of the collage “(Silver Stars and Gold Spirals) – Untitled” by Michael Buthe, which was restored with the support of the state of NRW. Michael Buthe, a four-time Documenta participant, is one of the best-known artistic personalities of the late 20th century. One of the largest collages Buthe ever created has been in the care of the Bonn Art Museum since 2005. The work has not been on public display for over ten years due to its extremely fragile condition. Before it came to the museum, it was stored folded up for a long period of time under unfavorable climatic conditions due to its large format. This resulted in numerous creases and folds in the paper support, most of which run vertically across the entire work. As a result, many of the thick layers of paint in these areas have partially broken, detached or even fallen off. There are also layer separations caused by the painting technique. Buthe’s collage can now be seen – freshly restored – in the new presentation of the collection in the “Raum für Phantasievolle Aktionen” at the Kunstmuseum Bonn.

The preservation of cultural heritage is an important concern of cultural policy in North Rhine-Westphalia. For more than 15 years, the Ministry of Culture and Science (MKW) has been supporting museums and collections in carrying out urgently needed conservation and restoration measures and protecting valuable art objects from decay.

The third publication in the “Art in good hands” series has just been published

The third publication in the “Art in Good Hands” series has just been published and provides an insight into ten exemplary projects that were realized in the “Fine Art Restoration Programme” from 2017 to 2020. Museums and collections have a special responsibility to preserve and research the testimonies of our culture. They preserve our cultural memory and hold an immense number of collection objects. These works require regular care as well as good storage and exhibition conditions. Some of them are already in need of restoration, some are even threatened with decay. First announced in December 2007, the “Fine Arts Restoration Program of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia” continues to make a significant contribution to ensuring that museums can fulfil their mission of preserving and presenting works of art. The only state initiative of its kind in Germany to date also benefits numerous smaller institutions in particular, which are generally unable to raise higher amounts of their own funds. In this way, works of art that are acutely endangered are preserved and the existence of collections is safeguarded. Well over 200 works and objects of art have already been saved by expert restorers, including Gerhard Richter’s “Five Doors” in the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. A tapestry with a special history of origin was also treated in the Westphalian School Museum in Dortmund. The third publication “Art in Good Hands” provides a condensed insight into the diverse projects of recent years. It presents ten projects that paint a multifaceted picture of the art landscape in North Rhine-Westphalia and builds on two previous publications that presented funded projects in 2010 and 2015.

The Association of Conservators (VDR) has been in charge of the “Fine Art Conservation Program” for many years, with which the Ministry of Culture and Science (MKW) in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia supports museums and collections in carrying out urgently needed conservation and restoration measures and protecting valuable art objects from decay.

Tip: The publication can be obtained free of charge in printed form from nrw-foerderprogramm@restauratoren.de.