- Title: ARGENTINA-ART/VANDALISM Statue 'hospital' fixes public works damaged by vandalism
- Date: 3rd July 2015
- Summary: PHOTOGRAPHS OF ORIGINAL DEER STATUE
- Embargoed: 18th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3RXKI84R2WCYA1PIGD05IHZI5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Love, art and commitment come together each day at Buenos Aires's statue "hospital" where artist do their best to salvage aging or vandalised artworks.
The department of City Monuments and Works of Art (MOA) functions as a kind of public statue 'hospital', where different works are taken to be restored and given a new life on the streets of the bustling South American capital.
Jose Maria Solveira, director of the municipal Green Spaces unit from the Ministry of Environment and Public Spaces, explained Friday (July 3) that while the restored statue will never be exactly the same as the original, their job is to do the best they can using information and photographs.
"When we find out about theft or a missing piece, we go to our archives where we have the information of each peace. There we have photographs in order to be able to do the mould and replicate the missing piece. It's very difficult sometimes to find duplicates of statues that are more than 100 years old but the truth is that today with the internet and with information from encyclopedias you can see photos of the statue and you can replicate it. We are never going to it exactly as the artist did but yes we are going to try to leave the monument in the best conditions for people to be able to enjoy it how it was," said Solveira.
The works that come into MOA vary widely, ranging from this damaged Romulus and Remus statue or the bust of former Argentine First Lady, Eva Peron.
Many of the statues are missing specific body parts such as an arm, leg or even a head and often require detailed labour.
"The damage is the lack of specific parts - arms, legs, torsos. Undoubtedly there are parts that are completely destroyed, pieces of masonry, or other things come in completely destroyed. At the economic level the cost of the restoration is very high and at the level of human work required, it involved hours of work and effort," said MOA coordinator, Jorge Sacur.
Approximately 30 damaged works come into the MOA for restoration every month showing the wear and tear of time or the signs of vandalism.
"The works get destroyed not only with the passage of time but also because of vandalism, which exists. So they bring the works and monuments here and a photograph is taken right away to record how the work was when it came in. The MOA has all the background of the work since the first day it was done and from there they start to work on restoring the missing parts," said Sacur.
The Argentine capital, often referred to as the Paris of South America, has 2093 public monuments and works of art ranging from sculptures and statues to busts and fountains. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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