Book Review: Od blizu / Izbliza / Up Close - Preservation, Protection, and Conservation-Restoration of Modern and Contemporary Works of Art

Book review by Barbara Horvat Kavazović

News in Conservation, April-May 2025, Issue 107, p. 44-46

The public rarely has direct insight into the conservation-restoration process and its scope of activities, even though the results of our work are present in almost every exhibition. It is in the nature of our profession to be invisible to the public. This book aims to lift the veil and shed light on the work of conservator-restorers and the challenges they face in an engaging and innovative way.

The book is trilingual, offering texts in Slovenian, Croatian, and English. Written in an accessible and concise manner, it is suitable for a wider audience interested in the background of museum collection preservation. Thanks to a holistic approach, it clearly communicates the intricacies of preserving and protecting modern and contemporary art.

The publication is the culmination of an international and multidisciplinary project titled Up Close, a collaborative effort between Croatian and Slovenian museums and universities—the Academy of Fine Arts and Design at the University of Ljubljana (ALUO), the Modern Gallery in Ljubljana (MG), and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb (MSU)—alongside numerous partner institutions and university affiliates. The project was realized through the dedicated work of project leaders Mirta Pavić (MSU Zagreb), Tamara Trček Pečak (ALUO, Ljubljana), and Nada Madžarac (MG), in collaboration with many colleagues, experts, students, and their mentors working on exceptionally interesting works by modern and contemporary artists. The project was first presented in the Up Close exhibition held in Ljubljana in 2022 and in 2024 when the exhibition arrived in Zagreb. I had the opportunity to visit the exhibition at the Modern Gallery in Ljubljana, which was awarded the Valvasor Award for unique achievements in 2022. The inventiveness and thoroughness of the exhibition, as well as the presentation of the conservation process, were illustrated through safe-to-handle object simulations, tactile, and visual aids. It was developed with inclusivity in mind, catering to young visitors and people with disabilities. This truly allowed for an ‘up-close’ perspective, leading the audience on a shared journey of exploring the complex process of artwork conservation and highlighting the importance of art in shaping our cultural and historical heritage.

The book illustrates how this journey begins, without a map, with each work of art being a unique puzzle. The opening thoughts emphasise the complexity of materials and the experimental nature of contemporary art, introducing new materials with unknown long-term characteristics, and the role of scientific analysis and modern technologies in guiding the process. The following chapters introduce selected works from the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb, the Modern Gallery in Ljubljana, the Božidar Jakac Gallery in Kostanjevica na Krki, and the Vasko Lipovac Atelier in Split, which were the focus of this project. The preservation of different and challenging materials—such as the 40-year-old Nailed Bread by Dragoljub Raša Todosijević or the computer visualisations and VR reconstruction of a contextual space based on archival documentation of wooden reliefs by Vasko Lipovac—demonstrate the scope of the research and solution development carried out by conservator-restorers.

The chapter ‘Conservation-Restoration’ highlights the key issues and demands placed on conservator-restorers in finding new and creative solutions. Modern consolidants, cleaning systems, and material reconstructions have been extensively examined and tabulated in several case studies, with clearly defined parameters and tested simulations. These thorough approaches can serve as guides for future projects involving similar works by the same artists as well as others employing similar techniques. Guided by the principles of our profession, which dictate the complexity of decision-making, the process is brought closer to the reader in an intimate way, emphasising the connection between technical knowledge and sensitivity to the artist’s messages and ideas.

Treatment of the polyester triptych Target II by artist Marija Ujević Galetović, and the mural at the MSU Zagreb plaza by artist OKO, specifically highlight one great advantage when researching contemporary art: the possibility of interviewing living artists. Through the artists’ memories, experiences, and perspectives on their own works, they can significantly contribute to their successful preservation.

Ethical issues, although addressed in a separate chapter, run throughout the book and the presented case studies, outlining dilemmas about the extent to which an artwork’s state can, or should, be improved. Questions surrounding the ethics of adding new materials, the alternative of inaction, and the consideration of living artists’ preferences make the book not only educational but also deeply philosophical, as it explores the role of the conservator-restorer as a bridge between the past and the future of art.

The final chapter, ‘Raising Awareness and Inclusion’, focuses on an active approach to involving the public and bringing art closer to everyone, especially children and vulnerable groups, for instance those with hearing and visual impairments. The knowledge gained over the past decades has contributed to the development of educational workshops and tools aimed at fostering engagement with art and conservation-restoration, allowing the public to participate in the process of caring for and preserving cultural heritage. Contemporary art pushes the boundaries and definitions of traditional works of art, and this is key to changing how we experience it first-hand through sensory engagement like sound, smell, and touch. This aspect of art, with an emphasis on education and accessibility, was showcased as part of the Up Close exhibition in 2022, and its overview in the book is what brings the journey full circle.

Finally, I would like to reflect on the book’s visual component; the photographs and illustrations accompanying the texts provide the reader with a detailed overview of various research methodologies, results, and treatments offering a clear and comprehensive documentation of conservation work. They underscore the depth of the conservation-restoration process, the thought processes behind treatments, and the synthesis of data into a cohesive narrative.

The book strikes a fine balance between practicality and theory, scientific research and art historical context, as well as the ethical, philosophical, and aesthetic dilemmas concerning an artwork’s material and artistic limitations while also including hands-on treatments and recommendations for maintaining artwork longevity. Within the region covered by the art addressed in Up Close, no other title provides such an in-depth overview of modern and contemporary art preservation. Even on a global scale, few publications address this complex subject matter in such an all-encompassing way.

Up Close—Preservation, Protection, and Conservation-Restoration of Modern and Contemporary Works of Art/ Edited by Tamara Trček Pečak, Mirta Pavić, Nada Madžarac Academy of Fine Arts and Design of the University of Ljubljana, Modern Gallery (Ljubljana), Museum of Contemporary Art (Zagreb) Slovenian, Croatian, English / 544 pages / 80€

Author bio:

Barbara Horvat Kavazović (MA) is a conservator-restorer from Croatia specialising in easel paintings. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where she works as an associate professor at the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art. In her work, she focuses on innovative cleaning systems and lining practices.

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