Archive & Memory
Beyond Restoration: Scientific Characterization and the Recovery of Cultural Heritage after the January 8 Attacks (Brazil)
Lucas Pereira
Universidade Federal de Pelotas
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- On display during breaks
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- Poster
Presentation abstract
Abstract
On January 8, 2023, the buildings around Square of the Three Powers (Praça dos Três Poderes), in Brasília, Brazil, were attacked by individuals dissatisfied with the outcome of the previous year’s presidential election. In addition to architectural heritage, numerous artworks housed within these buildings were vandalized and damaged. The attacks affected cultural assets of different typologies and historical significance, including paintings, sculptures, and ceramic artifacts. The Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage program at Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel) received twenty of these objects for treatment through the project “LACORPI – January 8: Restoration and Democracy” (8 de Janeiro: Restauração e Democracia). As part of this initiative, an interdisciplinary team conducted studies aimed at obtaining information about the affected works through physicochemical analyses of their constituent materials, such as FTIR, XRD and Raman Spectroscopy. This work presents the role of material characterization within the broader project of recovering cultural heritage damaged during the January 8 attacks. The investigated objects included paintings, metal sculptures, and a ceramic artifact, highlighting the material diversity represented within the affected collection. In addition to supporting decision-making throughout the restoration process, the information obtained contributes to future research on art history, artistic techniques, and the long-term preservation of these cultural assets. Although the artworks have already been returned following restoration, the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Material Heritage (CPMAT - Grupo de Pesquisa Interdisciplinar do Patrimônio Material) continues to develop studies aimed at expanding knowledge about these works and their artists, with a commitment to disseminating the results through scientific publications. In this context, physicochemical characterization extends beyond its diagnostic function, serving as a tool for documentation, knowledge production, and the valorization of cultural heritage. This work highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between heritage studies, conservation, and materials science in the recovery of cultural assets affected by major disruptive events.
Meet the presenter
About the presenter
Lucas Pereira
Lucas Pereira is a conservator-restorer and chemist currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Brazil. His research focuses on the characterization of cultural heritage materials, with particular interest in archaeometry, conservation science, and the application of analytical techniques to the study and preservation of artworks and historical objects. He has experience in conservation-restoration projects involving diverse cultural assets and works at the intersection of heritage studies, materials science, and chemistry, contributing to the understanding and safeguarding of cultural heritage.