The creative process
Giacomo Balla’s works treated in the laboratory belong to the 77×77 domestic nucleus.
Multispectral and chemical analyses have highlighted the intrinsic fragility of this modern painting—rigid protein preparations, industrial pigments, and zinc whites that, over time, have generated tension and micro-cracks.
From this awareness, a comprehensive project was born, where each intervention is both research and restoration.
The project addressed the intrinsic fragility of the materials and the widespread presence of oxidized deposits and glue residues with a coherent and modular approach.
For cleaning, colloidal systems, specifically emulsions, were used to selectively remove deposits without altering the paint layer. For consolidation, specifically designed nanostructured polymers were used to restore cohesion and stability to the paint layer. Their action, combined with the controlled thermal input of carbon nanotube MAT technology, allowed the paint layer to be realigned and compacted, preserving the authenticity of the surfaces.
The result is a stable and legible surface, in which light and matter return to dialogue in their original futuristic tension.
On “Espansione Fiore,” the paint layer was suffering: unstable micro-flakes and a yellow-brown patina stifled the color. Multispectral and FTIR analyses revealed the presence of oxidized protein binders and zinc-based pigments, perhaps responsible for the loss of cohesion and the widespread micro-cracks, aggravated by the painting’s conservation conditions.
The paint layer was then preconsolidated with a PEOX-based nanocomposite polymer, achieving optimal results thanks to the use of heat-controlled carbon nanotube mats, which allowed the paint layer to be delicately realigned and its cohesion restored.
“Lines of Sea Forces” showed signs of invasive lining: oxidized glues, torn edges, stiffened canvas. The glues were removed with agar blocks; the paint was cleaned with internal oil-phase emulsions based on isopropyl myristate, a green solvent with moderate polarity that allows for selective cleaning of the greasy components without solubilizing the original binders, achieving excellent results.
The FTIR spectrum of the green fragment shows characteristic bands of acrylic binders — in particular the ester C=O vibrations around 1730 cm⁻¹ and the intense aliphatic bands between 2920 and 2850 cm⁻¹ — confirming that this is a modern overpainting over the paint.
The fragment of “Screen” told a different story: paper glued to canvas and repainted in acrylic green in the 1950s. A gel of Klucel and ethyl lactate lifted the overpaint, revealing Balla’s original tempera, thin and vibrant like fabric.