Art Hospital helps heal 'sick' artworks

KUALA LUMPUR - Not many realise that Malaysia is rich in local visual art and creativity, possessing over 5,000 collections, some even over 100 years old.

They are not just fine art in the form of paintings but encompass various dimensions including sketches, printmaking, photography, and sculptures, all of which are highly valuable and need to be preserved.

As heritage treasures that immortalise various episodes of the nation's journey and progress in various facets of visual art expression, it is not an easy task to ensure these highly sensitive works remain in their original condition, especially when they are hundreds of years old, such as those from the colonial era.

To ensure that these artworks have a longer lifespan, the Art Hospital at the Conservation Repository Centre of the National Art Gallery serves as their 'saviour,' with functions almost similar to the Conservation Management Division at the National Museum in preserving the nation's artworks

Established in 2019 by the National Visual Arts Development Board (LPSVN), this Art Hospital is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, combining its primary role of managing collections and conserving creative works while also supporting the ecosystem of the national art industry.

The Art Hospital not only focuses on the conservation process of visual artworks by experienced conservationists, but also plays a role as a gallery, an art library, and a museum, thus serving as a catalyst for the country's tourism, said Musrizal Mat Isa, Senior Curator at LPSVN Collection and Conservation Section.

"For over 60 years, LPSVN has been collecting the nation's art treasures in various mediums. Finally, LPSVN took a step towards enhancing facilities, equipment, and the quality of art collections with the establishment of the Art Hospital.

"It also offers advisory services, restoration, art collection storage, and public consultations based on its mission and vision, in preserving and conserving the nation's artistic heritage treasures and disseminating information on art conservation to the public," he told Bernama.

Therefore, several emphases are placed on the Art Hospital, especially regarding storage methods based on specific categories, which include repositories for paper, sculpture and art objects, painting repositories, as well as repositories for artists and art collections

"The repository for paperwork stores nearly 3,000 paper-based artworks, encompassing prints, paintings, Chinese ink paintings, watercolours, photos, and archival materials, stored in a cool room according to conservation standards with storage room temperatures maintained under ambient conditions.

"The repository for sculptures and art objects is dedicated to storing collections of sculptures and art objects. The public can view the collections stored here through the first-of-its-kind glass tunnel in the country, while the painting repository stores nearly 1,500 collections such as oil paintings and acrylics," he said.

In addition to the expertise of its staff, this Art Hospital is also equipped with facilities such as a conservation studio for frames and art objects, a painting conservation laboratory, a collection study room, a photography studio, as well as technical examination using the latest technology

For processes such as cleaning, tear repair, image re-integration, and lining, which are conducted in the painting conservation laboratory, modern technologies such as Polarized Light Microscope and X-ray Fluorescence are utilised.

As for the collection study room, it is also open to researchers who wish to access art archival materials for their research through appointments with interactive touch screens provided to encourage public understanding and appreciation of art.

"We plan to hold demonstrations and workshops regularly to allow visitors to witness the conservation process firsthand. There are also plans to offer guided tours to this Art Hospital," he said. - BERNAMA