We are delighted to announce an IAP Virtual seminar with Maria Loerzel and Helena Ernst. This seminar examines the challenges that face curators and conservators in preserving plastics which, over the past 100 years have had an enormous influence on human culture, being omnipresent whether as cheap substitute materials, everyday objects, or collectors’ items.
Taking Care of Plastics
Date: Thursday, 9th December 2021
Time: 3 pm GMT
Tutor: Maria Loerzel and Helena Ernst
Price: £25.00
Platform: Zoom
This seminar will consist of a 55 minute presentation by Maria Loerzel and Helena Ernst followed by 15 minutes of discussion and questions.
Plastics can be found in almost every museum collection and time has shown that, contrary to their image, plastics are not „rot-proof“. The presenters look briefly at the history and development of plastics but focus on case studies to highlight the aging behavior and issues involved when contemplating the preservation of plastics as part of cultural heritage. Practical solutions for dealing with plastics in collections and as parts of monuments are shown.
Maria Loerzel is Conservator for Plastics and Modern Materials at the LVR-Amt für Denkmalpflege im Rheinland, Germany where she develops concepts for the conservation of plastics in monuments.
Helena Ernst is a Conservator for Modern and Contemporary materials at Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum in Munich, Germany.
For more information please visit our website
Please register on Eventbrite