Integrated Investigations to Study the Materials and Degradation Issues of the Urban Mural Painting Ama Il Tuo Sogno by Jorit Agoch

Giulia Germinario, Andrea Luigia Logiodice, Paola Mezzadri, Giorgia Di Fusco, Roberto Ciabattoni, Davide Melica and Angela Calia ()
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Giulia Germinario: ISPC-CNR, Institute of Heritage Sciences, Italian National Council of Research, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Andrea Luigia Logiodice: Independent Researcher, 85025 Melfi, Italy
Paola Mezzadri: Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, Italian Ministry of Culture, 00153 Rome, Italy
Giorgia Di Fusco: ISPC-CNR, Institute of Heritage Sciences, Italian National Council of Research, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Roberto Ciabattoni: Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, Italian Ministry of Culture, 00153 Rome, Italy
Davide Melica: Consulenza e Diagnostica per il Restauro e la Conservazione Enterprise, 73043 Copertino, Italy
Angela Calia: ISPC-CNR, Institute of Heritage Sciences, Italian National Council of Research, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-24

Abstract: This paper focuses on an integrated approach to study the materials and the degradation issues in the urban mural painting Ama Il Tuo Sogno, painted by the famous street artist Jorit Agoch in Matera (Italy). The study was conducted in the framework of a conservation project, aiming to contrast a progressive decay affecting the artifact that started a few months after its creation. Multi-analytical techniques were used to investigate the stratigraphy and chemical composition of the pictorial film within a low-impact analytical protocol for sustainable diagnostics. They included polarized light microscopy in UV and VIS reflected light, FTIR spectroscopy, Py-GC-HRAMS, and SEM-EDS. The mineralogical–petrographic composition of the mortar employed in the pictorial support was also studied with optical microscopy of thin sections and X-ray diffractometry. To know the mechanism underlying the degradation, IR thermography was performed in situ to establish the waterways and the distribution of the humidity in the mural painting. In addition, ion chromatography and X-ray diffractometry were used to identify and quantify the soluble salts and to understand their sources. The overall results allowed us to determine the chemical composition of the binder and pigments within the pictorial layers, the mineralogical–petrographic characteristics of the mortar of the support, and the execution technique of the painting. They also highlighted a correlation between the presence of humidity in the painted mural and the salt damage. The mineralogical phases were detected in the mural materials by XRD, and the results of ion chromatographic analyses suggested a supply of soluble salts mainly from the mortar of the support. Finally, the study provided basic knowledge for planning appropriate sustainable conservation measures.

Keywords: urban art; outdoor contemporary mural; material characterization; salt decay; spectroscopic/spectrometric techniques; chemical–mineralogical analyses; IR thermography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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