Although a priori it seems more complicated to restore an ancient work of art than a contemporary piece, it is not. At least, that’s what they say at the Reina Sofía, where this morning the restoration of an iconic work by Öyvind Fahlström (Sao Paulo, 1928-Estocolmo, 1976), an artist who, according to Manuel Borja-Villel, director of the museum, “reinvented painting”. It is about ‘Sylvia’ –takes the name of the French singer Sylvie Vartan–, made in 1965 and made up of two wooden and metal plates covered with paper and fabric painted with tempera, vinyl and magnetized elements. She did ten versions of this piece. The artist invented the ‘variable paints’, that can be built and deconstructed thanks to magnets. A kind of artistic frankenstein. These paintings consist of ‘instruction manuals’ with the different positions they can have.
Sharon Avery-Fahlström, widow of the artist, together with Manuel Borja-Villel
The piece was acquired by the Hollywood producer and collector Frank Konigsbergwho lived in Los Angeles. Sharon Avery-Fahlström, president of the Fahlström Foundation and the artist’s widow (she was his assistant in recent years), present at the press conference, recounts that in 1981 she called him to see the work. What was her surprise when she told him that she had disappeared. Actually, not all the work, but yes nine pieces (five mouths, a handkerchief, a string of beads and the head and body of Sylvie, protagonist of the work). After years without any further news, and Konigsberg already dead, he managed to get in touch with his widow, Susanne, sick with Parkinson’s. She went to San Diego to meet with Larry, a partner of her husband. Finally, they convinced Susanne that will give the work to Reina Sofíabecause in its state it could not be sold or exposed.
Jorge García, Head of Restoration at the Reina Sofía Museum, explains that during five years has been carried out complex investigation (“It has been long and it has not been easy”) to be able to return it to its original state, since there was hardly any documentation of the piece. Only one black-and-white photograph was known to exist in a gallery catalogue. Finally, Sharon Avery-Fahlström found a color slide, which was decisive. From it, images of the work were digitized to enlarge to real size the elements that had to be reproduced in the restoration department of the Reina Sofía. For Sylvie’s face, the single cover from which the artist took the image of the singer was used. Also very helpful were the samples of the colors Fahlström used, provided by his widow. Of the ten positions proposed by the artist for this work, the sixth was used.
Jorge García underlines that «in contemporary art there are different typologies and restoration requires a lot of care, a lot of research; evaluate, analyze the materials…» In fact, not even the artists themselves know how the materials they have used will be preserved over the years. The restoration room is located on the fourth floor of the museum, whose exhibition halls are closed due to lack of security personnel, as ABC has published. In total, there are 59 (the entire fourth floor and A0). Borja-Villel, who still hasn’t let go of whether he will run for the Reina Sofía again, says that the manager has informed him today that the budget to hire 40 temporary guards (for exhibitions) and 109 (for exhibitions) has already been approved. for the collection) before the end of the year, awaiting the 136 new permanent staff positions for surveillance and attention in museum rooms that it will have in 2023.