Restoration expert from Italy to work on Amorsolo painting
MANILA, Philippines - The Italian Embassy in Manila, together with the Philippine Italian Association, the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Fine Arts, and the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts, will bring to Manila for the first time an exhibit on the Italian excellence of restoration methods and instruments, in a fusion of art, science and technology. The exhibit will be held at Theater Lobby, UP Diliman, Quezon City, starting today until Aug. 5.
The culture of restoration is part of a set of strategies aimed at spreading the image of Italy’s excellence, promoting the internationalization of its cultural, scientific and economic components and maximizing its presence and role in a globalized world.
For a country like Italy, whose cultural heritage is extraordinarily rich, it was inevitable that the techniques of restoration of said heritage would also be elaborated on and refined to the point of becoming a world-renowned discipline of Italian excellence, so much so that many foreign Nations would seek out Italian professionals and technicians for their most challenging restorative interventions.
The exhibition, “Restoration: Methods and Instruments of Italian excellence in Art, Science and Technology,” aims to spread a deeper awareness of restoration through its history, techniques and masters. This will also be coupled by a hands-on conservation workshop conducted by Dr. Maria Teresa Castellano, an expert on art restoration from the prestigious Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro in Rome today until July 20 at the same venue. Dr. Castellano will be restoring National Artist Fernando Amorsolo’s painting of President Manuel Roxas.
Raffaello Sanzio, “Madonna del Cardellino,” c. 1505 (after cleaning) and detail (after the restoration) Ambassador Luca Fornari, together with Caesar Saloma, the chancellor of UP Diliman, will be present to open the exhibit today at 4 p.m.
