Are plastics part of our cultural heritage? Do we generally need a research center for the restoration of such materials? Is systematic training for plastics restorers necessary and are there really no alternatives to plastics as a means of restoration?
The “Plastics Heritage” symposium, from 22 to 24 October 2014 at HTW Berlin, offered Restauro the opportunity to talk to the organizers: Ruth Keller, Professor of Restoration and Conservation Science at HTW Berlin, Dr. Dr.h.c. Günter Lattermann, Chairman of the German Society for the History of Plastics (dgkg) and lecturer at HTW Berlin and Dietmar Linke, graduate restorer and lecturer at HTW Berlin.
How did the idea of a conference jointly organized by the University of Applied Sciences (HTW) and the German Society for the History of Plastics (dgkg) come about?
Keller: We have been in contact for many years. Initially, there were discussions between Mr. Linke and Mr. Lattermann regarding a restoration. Mr. Lattermann now teaches our prospective restorers in the field of plastics. Back in 2012, we held an interdisciplinary “Meeting on the History of Plastics” at the university in Berlin-Oberschöneweide, which brought together restorers, regional planners and even art dealers. We have since founded DOMA, a documentation center for the history of materials, which collects literature, archive and sample materials.
Lattermann: The continuation of the “Forum Plastics History” conference series, which already took place in Cologne in 2009 and Bremen in 2011, is this year’s culmination of our long collaboration with 118 participants from twelve nations.
For over 100 years, plastics – refined natural materials and synthetic polymers – have played a decisive role in our everyday lives. It goes without saying that we are talking about “Plastics Heritage” at this conference. This was not always the case in the museum sector, as we heard in the presentations. When was there a rethink about perceiving plastic as a cultural asset?
Lattermann: The term “plastics heritage” was coined during the preparations for the symposium. In my opinion, the rethink has only just begun and it is still far from common knowledge to regard plastics as a material of cultural heritage. Not only in some museums, but also among the general public, there is still a sense of astonishment.
Museums that have objects made of plastic in their collections are faced with the problem that their objects age and require special restoration skills. How do you assess the training of conservators in this specialist field?
Linke: I assume that this was only systematically started in Germany in the mid-1990s. In the meantime, plastics have become an established part of teaching, for example at the universities in Berlin and Cologne, even if there is still no specialization in plastics restoration.
Does this make Germany a pioneer in the training of conservators for modern materials?
Linke: I think that the UK and Denmark in particular were very early adopters in this field. But even there, this is only a component of broader courses of study and not a separate course. I am not aware of any specialization in the training of plastics restorers.
Lattermann: In Italy and the Netherlands in particular, courses lasting several days are often offered where theoretical and practical knowledge in this field is taught.
Keller: Unfortunately, to my knowledge, plastic restoration has not yet been taught as a truly independent part of restoration. It will not be possible to systematically cover the large field of plastics restoration, that is a long-term task.
When did restorers recognize plastics as a material for restoration? Are there no alternatives to synthetic polymers in restoration?
Linke: Yes, that’s how I see it. Plastics have been used as a restoration material since the 1960s. Of course, many mistakes were made back then. Like many things in the field of restoration, working with synthetic polymers is a learning process. Of course, we also use natural polymers in restoration, for example as adhesives or supplementary compounds, but synthetic polymers are indispensable in certain applications.
There are thousands of different material compositions in the polymer sector. Variable additive compositions can completely change the properties of a material. More and more newly designed plastics are coming onto the market. How important is systematic research in this area and how dependent are restorers on the industry?
Keller: The manufacturers of the acrylic resins we frequently use don’t immediately call us when they change something in production. We base our choice of materials in part on publications from the 1980s and 1990s. There is an urgent need for an institution to carry out such studies. The Canadian Conservation Institute is a good example of international research, as is the private Getty in California. The research laboratories of the Staatliche Museen/Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz are not equipped for this in terms of personnel. Germany should set a good example in this respect, as the plastics industry was and is very important here.
Lattermann: Together with the USA, Germany is the birthplace of polymer science. The concept of macromolecules was invented by Staudinger. But I take a critical view of collaboration with industry, because the composition of the polymers or the various additives are trade secrets. Nobody will be able to disclose them voluntarily. However, such a research institute is fundamentally important and can be carried out in cooperation with polymer chemistry, i.e. also with university institutions.
Linke: The need for research in the field of plastics for restoration is enormous. It would be a sensible solution to establish a central research institute here. But of course not only for the field of modern materials, but also for all other restoration disciplines. Unfortunately, this has not yet come about due to the cultural sovereignty of the federal states and is damaging Germany as a restoration location in the long term. Short-term research projects lasting two years help to clarify certain issues in individual cases, but they are no alternative to the fundamental research and development work that is necessary.
One final question: will biopolymers play a role in restoration in the future?
Lattermann: Modern biopolymers are undoubtedly on the rise, but development has only just begun. However, not everything that has so far been produced from synthetic polymers and composites will be able to be covered by biopolymers in the future. However, for reasons of resource conservation and environmental protection, biopolymers will undoubtedly be increasingly used in the future. The problem of preserving and restoring modern biopolymers will then inevitably arise, as is already the case for semi-synthetic and fully synthetic polymers. But this is not yet acute, even though objects made of historical, natural polymers or biopolymers have long been part of our cultural heritage worth preserving as the oldest class of materials of all.
The interview was conducted by Heike Schlasse.