29 Jan 2023  |   05:05am IST

Resurrecting pieces of Goan art through conservation and restoration

The growing need of art conservation is seen in Goa, as besides humidity one of the biggest issues to damage artworks is a sudden change in weather, which is visible with climate change. Goans are blessed to have professionals from across the world imparting practical training on how to save these artefacts
Resurrecting pieces of Goan art through conservation and restoration

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.

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar