{"id":24214,"date":"2026-04-16T12:41:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T10:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.mnk.pl\/activity\/conservation\/pracownia-konserwacji-rzezby\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T19:46:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T17:46:40","slug":"sculpture-conservation-studio","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/activity\/conservation\/sculpture-conservation-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"Sculpture Conservation Studio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Grupa<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Sculpture Conservation Workshop specialises in the restoration of objects made from traditional sculptural materials, such as stone, plaster, terracotta, clay, as well as works of contemporary art, in which, alongside traditional materials, a whole range of unusual materials \u2013 not previously regarded as sculptural materials \u2013 are used and combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Studio\u2019s interests centre, amongst other things, on the issue of the conservation of synthetic materials, which is a relatively new field. The mechanisms underlying the changes occurring in these materials are not yet fully understood; these processes are irreversible, which is why prevention is a crucial element of conservation work \u2013 creating suitable storage conditions for the objects, which can significantly slow down the processes of degradation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the plastic objects in the collection of the National Museum in Krak\u00f3w, the most valuable and best-known are the works of Alina Szapocznikow. The museum possesses a vast and exceptionally valuable collection of works by this outstanding artist. Among these, a special place is occupied by over a dozen compositions made from synthetic resins (the \u2018Herbarium\u2019 series, the full-figure \u2018Piotr\u2019 and \u2018Alina\u2019s Funeral\u2019), which have undergone conservation work at the Sculpture Conservation Workshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, these works have been presented in a series of enthusiastically received exhibitions at leading cultural centres in Europe and the United States, including WIELS in Brussels and MoMA in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the works of contemporary artists, we encounter many complex conservation challenges arising from the unconventional, often impermanent techniques used in their creation. Each object requires an individual approach and, on many occasions, the application of innovative solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the Sculpture Conservation Studio\u2019s most interesting projects is the complex conservation of Barbara Zbro\u017cyna\u2019s large-scale work entitled \u2018The Sun\u2019. It is one of the most outstanding works of Polish sculpture from the post-war period. The bas-relief, in the form of a circle with a diameter of approx. 210 cm and a thickness ranging from a few to over ten centimetres, was mounted on a wooden truss. Due to faulty construction techniques, the structure had become destabilised and wobbly, resulting in structural cracks in the cast. The primary conservation challenges were therefore the design and construction of a new supporting structure and the development of a mounting system for the purposes of future display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A major, long-term project undertaken by the Studio was the conservation of over seven hundred historic plaster casts for the exhibition \u2018Krak\u00f3w at Your Fingertips\u2019<\/a>. This extremely interesting collection was created at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Castings of architectural and funerary sculptures, as well as fragments of outstanding sculptural works \u2013 mostly Romanesque and Gothic \u2013 were produced during conservation work in churches and townhouses, mainly in Krak\u00f3w but also in other Polish cities. Some of these castings are the only surviving records of the originals, which no longer exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This collection has never been exhibited in its entirety, and since the 1960s it has been stored in warehouses and inaccessible to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another interesting project undertaken by the Workshop was the conservation of the alabaster bas-relief *The Flagellation of Christ*. The work dates from the third or fourth quarter of the 17th century and was most likely created in the Lviv centre of alabaster sculpture, following Netherlandish models. The bas-relief was in a very poor condition \u2013 glued together from numerous fragments and heavily soiled. In places, putty, restorations, spalling and losses were visible. The gilding was worn away and covered with a layer of gold leaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to practical conservation, the Workshop carries out preventative conservation, which includes, amongst other things, monitoring the storage and display conditions of objects, as well as work related to loans \u2013 preparing condition reports, supervising the packing and transport of works, and providing conservation support for temporary exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Team<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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  • Anna K\u0142osowska<\/strong> \u2013 conservator, head of the workshop<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • S\u0142awa Jurkowska-S\u0119k \u2013 assistant conservator<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Marzena Ma\u015blan \u2013 restorer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Micha\u0142 Obarzanowski \u2013 assistant conservator<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
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    +48 012 433 58 91<\/p>\n

    \n MNK Mehoffer, ul. Krupnicza 26<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Sculpture Conservation Workshop specialises in the restoration of objects made from traditional sculptural materials, such as stone, plaster, terracotta, clay, as well as works of contemporary art, in which, alongside traditional materials, a whole range of unusual materials \u2013 not previously regarded as sculptural materials \u2013 are used and combined. The Studio\u2019s interests centre, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":24188,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24214","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24214"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42958,"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24214\/revisions\/42958"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mnk.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}