engleski

A Crumb(ling) Display: The Conservation of Bread in the Museum Collection

An object from the Museum of Contemporary Art’s (MSU) collection, Nailed Bread by the conceptual artist Raša Todosijevićwas created in 1973. It is made up of a piece of bread into which three nails have been hammered. Over the course of several decades, it dried out and it has begun to show signs of decay and the presence of microorganisms. Changes in this interesting object were noticed during its display in the MSU’s permanent collection. In 2011, it was necessary to undertake steps for the conservation and consolidation of the material. The rotten elements were removed from the original bread. It was consolidated with a solution of Paraloid B-72 in ethyl alcohol, and was then subjected to gamma irradiation. After 7 years keeping track of its condition the piece is still in good condition, but smaller changes are visible. A gentle sheen is noticeable on the surface, caused by the consolidant. Given that the artist created many works that use bread, it is necessary to test the use of various consolidants on this kind of object. Consequently, the purpose of this research was an analysis of the use of three consolidants (Paraloid B72, Aquazol and Mowilith), with the goal of determining the characteristics needed to conserve the material, and which will at the same time have a minimal impact on the aesthetics of the piece. In choosing an appropriate consolidant, the most important considerations were: the possibility of dissolving it in a solvent that evaporates quickly and will not break down the starch ; stability ; resistance to parasites ; as well as its final appearance. Every sample of bread tested with a consolidant was compared to a sample of the original consolidated bread. The approach to food in the role of an artistic material that transmits a message by being precisely what it is – in this case an association with staple foods and with the nailing to the cross– gave an additional dimension to this research focusing on an appropriate conservation method. The musealisation of such materials opens up many ethical and technical questions, as well as collaboration with experts in different scientific fields. This paper will present the results and conclusions of joint research on the bread with the aim of setting a standard for the storage and conservation of this and similar materials.

bread, conservation, Raman, SEM

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