Dolcy D’Cruz
When cleaning the oratory in the house, what does one do when they see a statue with a broken hand? Does it stay on the oratory or is placed in the kitchen to be burnt in a fire? These valuable pieces of art have to be preserved and conserved for future generation. There is no value for ash compared to a beautiful restored piece of art.
Teresa Teves Reis is a conservator-restorer from the
Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Portugal, who successfully completed her
internship at the Museum of Christian Art (MOCA), in Old Goa, in 2005. Falling
in love with the unique art that was created in Goa centuries ago, she has been
travelling to work on the study and research of the challenges behind the
conservation and restoration of these artworks and artefacts. She is currently
in Goa as a part of the research team from Project Old Goa Revelations at the
gallery of Viceroys, as she successfully defended her master’s thesis, ‘The
Gallery of Viceroys and Governors of Portuguese India: a route to an
intervention methodology.’
As a professional with more than a decade of practical
experience in conservation and restoration of cultural assets, she recently
facilitated a talk on ‘How to communicate risks to stakeholders’ at the
training in Conservation Risk Assessment to the Museum Of Christian Art team
which included Natasha Da Costa Fernandes, Priti Carvalho, Noah Fernandes, Glen
Fernandes and Frazer Andrade, in the context of their joint application to
ICOM’s Solidarity Project: “Training leaders in Conservation Risk Assessment”.
Explaining the difference between conservation and
restoration, Teresa says, “Conservation should be done undertaken to maintain
and preservation of works of art from further damage and deterioration.
Restoration if not carried out well can lead to alteration in the appearance of
the objects. In Goa, there are many artworks and artefacts including sacred
objects which are found in churches, chapels and private homes. An inventory
has to be done first of these objects, followed by assessment and conservation.
One has to plan well about the risks, assess the problems and analyse the solution
looking at the correct methodology for the conservation of the objects and
intrinsic values such as, for eg., artistic, historical, functional, symbolic,
to name a few. It is important to plan now looking forward to another 20 years
on how the object can be conserved, which can be difficult to restore if
delayed by a few years.”
As Jesus said in Matthew 13:57, ‘A prophet is not without
honor, save in his own country and in his own house.’ Teresa sees a world of
unique art that brings her to Goa even after so many years. “This art in Goa is
quite a unique and hybrid collection as it shows how local artist made their
interpretation to the European models which circulated in Goa, with their own
paintings and iconography which is visible even today in the churches. Not
everyone gives it enough value in Goa but since it is different, it is sold as
part of Goan Heritage. People have to be more sensitive to this art, an
intrinsic part of their cultural identity and MoCA is doing wonderful work and
best practices in educating, disseminating and conserving this heritage,
according to international conservation and restoration standards” says Teresa.
Goa has its own challenges when it comes to preserving
objects including the excessive humidity. However, it not just the weather
conditions but the abrupt changes that can lead to further damage. “Artefacts
and paintings are used to the conditions in Goa including humidity. But if
there is a strong fluctuation like an abrupt environmental changes, it can lead
to damage and to the development of other agents of degradation. The objects
have to be preserved in places that are clean, with walls and roofs without
leakage problems and keeping it pest free, according to a comprehensive
preservation plan, which is more effective for long term preservation than, for
eg., to proceed with systematic interventions which focus only on the final
aesthetic result than to assure the correct interpretation and material
conservation of the objects,” advises Teresa.
Fundacao Oriente – Delegation in India an University of
Evora will organise a session, ‘Deciphering the Layers of Time – Unravelling
the Mysteries of the Viceroys Portrait Gallery of Goa at Fontainhas, Panjim on
February 2 from 6pm to 7pm.
The Museum of Christian Art -Old Goa (MoCA) recently stepped
into its 30th year on January 23. The museum has been a great meeting point of
likeminded people who are interested in learning about the history of Christian
art as well as preserving it well. MoCA recently launched India’s first Museum
podcast ‘Altars of Time: A History of Goa’, produced by Kevin Fernandes and
Anirudh Kanisetti, as an outcome of the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) –
MoCA Creative project. “The episodes showcased 25 objects from the museum’s
collection and the next episode with another 25 objects will be out in the next
week on Spotify,” says Natasha Natasha Da Costa Fernandes, director of MoCA.
To mark MoCA’s 29th anniversary, Vivek Menezes, noted writer
and photographer was in conversation with Vidya Dehejia, author of ‘India, A
story through 100 Objects’. The museum recently organised the special session
dedicated to topics on Risk Management of Cultural Heritage. “We are planning
to open a conservation laboratory in Goa but it requires funding for building the
facility and training the professionals who will carry on the work. They have
to be passionate about their work as professionals working on conservation of
art is not a very trendy job and after years of training, they should work with
the museum too,” says Natasha, explaining that there is a difference between
theory and practical knowledge of conservation and it requires not just
professional training but years of working with different materials for
conservation.
For the past six years, every year Caterina Goodhart travels
from London to Goa in the hope that the younger generation of Goan artists will
preserve and conserve Goan art. Principal of The London School of Picture &
Frame Conservation, she is a lecturer and painting conservator who is currently
in Goa and shortlisting the students for this year’s Art Conservation Course
that will be held by The Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and conducted by her and
her team of artists which include Goan artists too. The one year certificate
course at Convent of St John of God, Old Goa, will offer an introduction to
conservation and restoration of paintings, polychrome statues and gilded
artefacts.
In 2017, Sandesh Naik from Ribandar has won a gold medal of
excellence by the City and Guild Awards, making him the first Asian to win gold
in Restoration. This year, he will be a part of the faculty that will be
training the students. “We have included Goan teachers this year in the course
and we are extremely happy with the candidates we have received so far as they are
not only interested in the subject but they also have degrees in art. They are
all young and keen to learn the practicality of preserving and the conservation
of art. It is all about preserving and saving Goa’s heritage age through
paintings,” says Caterina Goodhart, a recipient of the President’s Award in
2008 in the United Kingdom.
One young mind who is showing absolute interest and zeal to
save this heritage of Goa in his own way is Frazer Andrade from Fatorda,
Margao. When most children where excited to spend their pocket money on
chocolates and toys, Frazer, a student of Loyola High School, was busy
collecting money to buy antique Christian art statues. His hobby turned into a
passion as he grew up and even though he completed his Masters in Pharmacy at
Goa College of Pharmacy, he is still very concerned about Goa’s culture and
heritage.
“I came across several people wanting to modernize their
prayer rooms and oratories at home. When they did that they often burnt their
old religious statues and oratories, a practice followed among Catholics to do
away with unwanted sacred objects. This disturbed me a lot. I started trying to
save these sacred pieces from them. I always insist that they preserve their
oratories in their houses. But still if they would want to do away with them,
then I would pick them up from them/ purchase them from families, and care for
them in my house. Not only tangible Christian heritage but the intangible
heritage too is dying a quick death in the name of modernisation. Old traditional
Konkani, Portuguese, and Latin hymns and other prayers are replaced very
conveniently with modern English and Konkani ones. I personally try to save
these traditional hymns and prayers in whatever small way I can,” says Frazer,
who was trained by late Maestro Maurelio Cotta, who passed away last month.
To further academically support his passion for
conservation, Frazer did his internship at MoCA, followed by a course at the
Anupama Heritage Lab and a course in Conservation of Metals at the Prince of Wales
Museum in Mumbai. He returned to Goa recently and completed his month long
training at Goa Chitra Museum in Benaulim. “I have over 200 objects in my
collection including sacred objects made out of wood, ivory, textile and paper.
I also have nine oratories which are well preserved. It is important to
conserve these objects of great value from further deterioration,” says Frazer,
who is very happy when he finds an antique piece of sacred object, no matter in
what state to add to his collection.