Summary of Restauración del Patrimonio Histórico

00:00:00 - 00:40:00

This video explores the restoration and conservation of Mexico's cultural heritage, including architectural gems, painted sculptures, photographs, ceramic artifacts, and textiles, with a focus on preserving their historical and cultural significance. This involves interdisciplinary work by experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History, conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and reactivation techniques, and specialized knowledge and expertise. The restoration process includes careful research, analysis, and testing to retain the original values, meaning, and colors of each artifact. The video showcases various examples of restoration projects and their challenges, such as environmental factors, rotting, missing parts, insect damage, and the unique characteristics of different materials like metals and feathers. The restoration efforts are vital to preserving Mexico's cultural identity and connecting future generations to their past.

• 00:00:00 In this section, the transcript discusses the importance of conserving and restoring Mexico's cultural heritage through specialized techniques and interdisciplinary work. The National Institute of Anthropology and History has played a fundamental role in preserving Mexico's cultural identity by rescuing and restoring countless cultural expressions. The conservation and restoration of cultural heritage involve various methods, including conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and reactivation, with restoration being a professional discipline that requires specialized knowledge and expertise. The practice of restoration in Mexico has been around for over 50 years, with a focus on preserving archaeological remains and conserving a range of cultural objects.
• 00:05:00 In this section, the video discusses the restoration and conservation of cultural heritage in Mexico, which has expanded to a variety of materials and processes, including religious and sacred art. The restoration process is guided by extensive research and aims to preserve the original values and meaning of each artifact, as well as meet current needs for use and worship. The National Institute of Anthropology and History is responsible for the research, conservation, restoration, and dissemination of cultural heritage and offers interdisciplinary training programs for restoration professionals. The video also highlights some of the challenges and risks, such as determining to what extent interventions can be made without compromising the cultural and religious significance of these objects.
• 00:10:00 In this section, we learn about the restoration of three colonial architectural gems in Oaxaca that were damaged in a 1999 earthquake. Alongside the architectural rehabilitation, numerous oil paintings, sculptures, and altarpieces were restored. The preservation project was led by a group of professionals, including experts from the National Coordination for Cultural Heritage Conservation and the National School of Conservation, Restoration, and Museum Studies. They worked on preserving retablos mayores or high altarpieces in the communities of Aguadejaka and Coixtlahuaca, which had 16th-century paintings and sculptures by renowned Sevillian painter, Andrés de la Concha. The community of Yanhuitlán underwent more extensive work because the team had to restore not only the high altarpiece but the entire convent and church. The restoration of the paintings was vital to the project. The works were created on wooden boards over 200 years ago, and the paint had discolored, masking the original colors; the team had to strip the varnish and fix cracks and other damages. Two women, Yolanda Madrid-Alanís and Magdalena Castañeda Hernández, working on the restoration of the paintings, received an honorable mention at the Paul Coremans Prize in 2013.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the students from the restoration workshop of painted sculpture at the National School of Conservation, Restoration, and Museography and specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) are restoring sacred art pieces of the 17th and 18th centuries, belonging to the church of San Bartolo Cuautlalpan, Mexico. The restoration process involves cleaning, fumigation, restoration of missing parts, and chromatic reintegration. The sculptures are studied meticulously before a proposal is put forward regarding their needed restoration, and their history and context are researched. Some of the sculptures are up to 300 years old and have been exposed to several environmental factors, resulting in rotting, missing parts, and insect damage.
• 00:20:00 In this section, experts discuss the importance of preserving historical artifacts in Mexico, as they provide valuable insights into past customs, techniques, and everyday life. They specifically examine the restoration of a calamine altar from the colonial period, highlighting the need to understand the unique characteristics of different metals and the importance of specific restoration treatments. Researchers are also using high-tech tools, such as a fluorescence X-ray analyzer, to determine the composition and manufacturing techniques used in the altar. Additionally, the conservation of a large photographic collage, featuring prominent individuals from the Porfirian era, is discussed in this section. The piece, which is a collage of 769 photographs, was restored by the School of Conservation and Restoration, and is a significant representation of Mexican cultural heritage.
• 00:25:00 In this section, we learn about the restoration of historic photographic works in the National Museum of History in Mexico. The restoration process for these works takes around two months to determine the technique of each photograph and the number of layers. The images that had been damaged from being wet having mold issues present as the fungus likes to feed on the gelatin, and repairing the images in the lower part was a problem. The restoration process involves delicate work done under the microscope since the size of some images is smaller than 2 cm or has a width of one millimeter. The restorer aims to conserve the materials used to make the original artwork and obtain their colors and textures by using a technique that is also respectful of the manufacturing process. The restoration team's job is to recover the artwork's stability first before focusing on individual images or areas that need attention.
• 00:30:00 In this section, the video showcases the importance of preserving archaeological heritage and how restoration is more than just putting broken pieces back together. The restoration of ceramic artifacts involves evaluating the state of the piece, identifying marks left by time and applying theoretical knowledge to avoid destruction. The restoration process begins during excavation and involves actions to protect the piece, ensuring stable conditions during handling, packaging, storage, and exhibition to prevent deterioration. The video provides examples of the restoration process through different projects, highlighting one such project's excavation and restoration of unique pieces, including an urn from Michoacán, that contained a child's body, and a ceramic fragment from Campeche. With careful investigation, theoretical knowledge, and material testing, restorers work to return a piece to its former glory, using materials that will not damage the artifact or alter it significantly from its original form.
• 00:35:00 In this section, we see the delicate artistry of the person who created a clay piece with a small face that represents a historical figure. The restoration requires planning and proper sample extraction to ensure that all information is not lost. The restoration process involves extensive research, including certain cultural traditions and pre-Hispanic and colonial designs that reveal the significance of the Manto de Zinacantepec. The restoration of the Manto was executed by experts from the Escuela Nacional de Conservación Restauración y Museografía del INAH, which unearthed elements identifying the Otomí culture's traditions and designs, including animals inhabiting the region.
• 00:40:00 In this section, a textile restoration expert explains the process of creating and restoring the intricate feathered applique designs found on historic Mexican textiles. The unique cotton-based material is created by twisting fibers with feathers for added decoration, and the feathers are dyed naturally before being twisted together to create a strong, fluffy thread. The preservation of these textiles is crucial, as they serve as important cultural artifacts that identify and connect Mexicans to their heritage. Restoration efforts involve surface cleaning to restore the feathers' natural volume, and previous interventions are removed to reveal the original design. The expert's goal is to create a new display case that can both store and exhibit the piece, allowing it to be viewed by future generations.