Beeldend- en performancekunstenaar Philip Vermeulen weet met zijn
op natuurkunde en neurowetenschappen gebaseerde installaties alle zintuigen te prikkelen. Een interview over de intieme en noodzakelijke relatie tussen kunst en wetenschap ... Read more

Wat gebeurt er wanneer je de nieuwste technologie aan de gang laat gaan met het werk van Theo van Doesburg? Dat ontdek je in Het Van Doesburg-experiment in Museum De Lakenhal. Leer hoe zijn schilderijen er in eerdere fasen uitzagen en welke kunstwerken deze kunstenaar nog meer had kunnen maken. 3D-print of origineel, welke wint het? ... Read more

Tentoonstelling 8 juni 2023 t/m 7 januari 2024 Mauritshuis, Den Haag. Wie is het Meisje met de parel? Hoe heeft Johannes Vermeer haar gemaakt? En is het schilderij veranderd sinds het 300 jaar geleden zijn atelier verliet? Onder leiding van onze restaurator Abbie Vandivere deed een internationaal team van wetenschappers technisch onderzoek naar het Meisje met de parel. De resultaten zijn te zien in Who's that girl? ... Read more

Cleaning and provisional restoration treatments on The Crucifixion (1425) revealed that the visible azurite layer obscures an originally golden background. This leads to the question of whether or not the azurite should be removed as it is not original, or should be kept as part of the panel’s history. To overcome this dilemma, this paper presents a methodological solution of approaching this problem by combining the knowledge of art historians, restorers and by integrating modern 3D technologies before, during, and after the restoration. By creating a modifiable digital model, a virtual restoration can potentially attribute to analyzing and visualizing optical changes due to restoration treatments. Additionally, multiple 3D-printed facsimiles physicalize these adaptations. A facsimile’s value is demonstrated by analyzing the diversity of meanings an artwork can have in terms of authenticity whilst respecting the artwork's material and social integrity. The 3D prints be decisive in the restoration of the panel. ... Read more

3D printing’s rapid technological development is starting to impact the art field because, for the first time, it has become possible to exactly reproduce and reconstruct artworks without any loss of their physical features. Yet, a coherent overview of how 3D printing is used within the art field while paying attention to ethical considerations does not exist. This study will provide an overview of the current developments of 3D printing in the art world, its use, and the direction it is moving toward. Within this study, the technologies that enable, influence, and will continue to affect the 3D reproduction of artworks, namely technologies necessary to capture an artwork’s materials on a chemical and physical level, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing technology itself, and the rise of the non-fungible token (NFT) are analyzed to be able to understand what 3D printing implies for our changing perception of art in the future. ... Read more

Various types of digital and physical three-dimensional facsimile technologies (e.g., high-definition digital modelling and 3D printing) have entered the art world and have become increasingly important for research and presentation purposes. Yet, studies that go beyond the technical aspects of (3D) facsimile techniques, such as their significance for the conservation/restoration field and museum display, are scarce, especially in the case of easel paintings. Furthermore, studies that analyse the perception of these methods and, consequently, their impact on the authenticity of the original painting, do not exist to our knowledge. The aim of this research is twofold: firstly, it evaluates a viewer’s perception of various facsimiles; secondly, on the basis of this analysis, it aims to gain a better understanding and provide an overview of the applicability of (3D) facsimiles of artworks for presentation purposes and potential users (technical art historians, conservators, curators, material scientists and museum visitors). This research was executed by combining a literature review with quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data acquired through a) a questionnaire of 17 closed and open-ended questions and (b) an on-site session at the Mauritshuis museum (The Hague, The Netherlands). Based on analysis of the data collected through these activities, this paper attempts to provide an indication of the current attitude towards (3D) facsimile methods as well as to present some criteria of using these methods in a museum environment. ... Read more

3D digitization of cultural heritage has long been used to preserve information about cultural heritage (CH) objects such as architecture, art, and artifacts. 3D dissemination of CH objects through technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D printing have impacted the fields of art history and cultural heritage and have become more common. Yet, studies that go beyond the technical aspects of 3D technology and treat such topics as their significance for restoration, conservation, engagement, education, research, and ethics hardly exist. The aim of this paper is twofold: on the one hand, it aims to get a better understanding of the applicability of each technology for different purposes (education, research, conservation/restoration, and museum presentation), and, on the other hand, it focuses on the perception of these technologies. This research was carried out by combining a literature review with quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data acquired through (1) a questionnaire of eleven questions and (2) a workshop with a group of specialists and non-specialists who were asked to brainstorm about the different uses of the 3D technologies and their applicability to their areas of work and research. Based on the analysis of these quantitative and qualitative data, we provide some criteria for using 3D digitized and printed reproductions to enhance cultural experiences. The results demonstrate the importance of carefully designing 3D interactions in the personal and cultural contexts of end-users and cultural institutions in order to create authentic cultural experiences. ... Read more

The consequences of the coronavirus and the physical limitations it imposes on museums and their visitors force museums to rethink cultural identity and to approach the exhibition of material artworks differently. Only a limited number of people are allowed to visit the museum at one time, booking time slots is mandatory, making it difficult to welcome visitors. As most Dutch museums are largely self-funded, the lack of tourists, visitors, educational programmes that generate income, together with the insufficient financial support of the Dutch government, have greatly impacted their policies. This report analyses the coronavirus’ effects on the role of museums within the Dutch ‘anderhalvemetersamenleving’ (one and a half meter society). This report offers an overview of the changes that have taken place in Dutch society due to the limitations of physical interaction with artworks and the museum space as well as the way Dutch museums have reacted to these consequences. Lastly, this report offers an analysis of the success of these new developments and the challenges that still need to be overcome. Thus, ways will be proposed in which Dutch museums can learn from these actions in maintaining their critical function in society. ... Read more

This article uses the COVID –19 crisis to re –evaluate the importance of reproductions – 3D prints – for art’s authenticity, and their significance in keeping art museums meaningful in a rapidly changing world. The fixation on ‘auratic experiences’, inherent to artworks’ materiality is integral to contemporary art theory and museum practice, resulting in a rejection of reproductions. However, the inaccessibility to engage with physical artworks due to the coronacrisis would suggest a loss of art’s significance and the museum’s importance. Yet, the opposite is happening, as engaging with artworks happened via anti-authentic: reproductions. Dennis Dutton’s analysis of authenticity helps unfolding the various values an artwork can have beyond its physicality. Additionally, Henry Jenkins’ convergence theory helps seeing our relationship with artworks as dispersed over mixed media, reaching beyond materiality. By considering museums as multifaceted mediums themselves, it becomes possible to understand the dynamics of authenticity in museums without physical borders. Authenticity is not static; it is a social construct allowing various perceptions that change over time, resulting in shifting appreciations of both artworks and 3D prints. Finally, ways are proposed in which reproductions can attribute to developing meaningful narratives that can take place with limited or no engagement with artworks or museums’ physicality. ... Read more

Various imaging techniques are used to visualise issues regarding a painting’s appearance before, during and after conservation treatments, i.e. visible light photography (VIS) raking light photography (RAK), ultraviolet fluorescence photography (UVF) and reflectance transformation imaging (RTI). However, these techniques cannot always visualise and/or quantify conservation issues. This paper presents a new approach: colour, gloss, topography imaging (CGT). CGT’s applicability as a non-invasive tool for evaluating and documenting conservation treatments in comparison to VIS, UVF, RAK and RTI is discussed. Applying this to case studies with different conservation dilemmas illustrates the technique’s potential and drawbacks. CGT can visualise issues such as gloss variations, resulting from (previous) cleaning tests, (partial) varnish removal, and possibly dirt and material degradation. Furthermore, CGT can elucidate topographical issues such as bulging, and losses, and also visualise high-frequency surface variations (e.g. canvas weave and crack pattern). This results in an improvement of documenting a painting’s condition, and the evaluation of treatments and their effects on the visual appearance may be quantified. In conclusion, this research shows that CGT is able to better visualise texture, gloss and colour information than existing techniques like technical photography, facilitating a more precise documentation and localisation of previous and current conservation treatments. ... Read more

This article discusses a 3D print of Rembrandt van Rijn’s Saul and David to introduce the debate on art reproduction. Confusion about and a rejection of 3D printing is caused by the fact that this technology is hard to define as a form of art reproduction. Furthermore, 3D printing causes tension within the way that value is granted to original paintings. Walter Benjamin’s theory of aura and other contemporary texts, such as Thierry Lenain’s book on art forgery and David Lowenthal’s articles on the authenticity of artworks and reproductions, provide a theoretical framework with which to introduce the current debate on ‘original’ and ‘copy’, a discourse that is becoming more important because of the increasing quality of reproductions through 3D printing. Exploring the concept of authenticity, this article shows how contemporary society grants value to artworks and reproductions. Authenticity as a concept is not static; it is a social construction that allows various perceptions of art that can change over time, resulting in shifting perceptions of both original artworks and (3D) reproductions. Finally, this article relates the various perspectives of authenticity to 3D prints in assessing whether these reproductions can become authentic in and of themselves. ... Read more