Tarsila and Portinari stained glass windows at Faap are renovated – 04/16/2024 – Daily Life

Tarsila is torn apart on a table. Parts of it are cleaned and gathered by four women, concerned about not changing anything. Portinari, Ohtake and Segall are to the side, motionless. The scene takes place at the Faap Brazilian Art Museum (Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado), in São Paulo, on the afternoon of last Thursday (11).

It involves the renovation of stained glass windows signed by some of the most famous Brazilian artists of the last century. The works, 59 in total, have adorned the building’s lobby since 1960, displayed on a large panel designed by artist Claudia Andujar. She, a naturalist, also left her contribution: she created “vines” in milk glass, the same used in marbles, to embrace the repertoire of her colleagues.

In February this year, the lead structure that supports the pieces suffered cracks, fissures and cracks due to shocks caused by works on the 6-orange subway line. The extension — with no delivery date yet — will connect the future Brasilândia station, in the north, to São Bento, in the center.

Upon noticing the damage, Faap says it contacted the LinhaUni dealership, owned by the Spanish company Acciona, responsible for the site, and obtained approximately R$500,000 to cover the repairs. A SheetHowever, LinhaUni denied any damage associated with its project and only declared that it had preventively financed rubber coatings on the stained glass frames, considering its “historical and cultural importance”.

Repairs began in February. Faap invested the money in rubber protection, yes, but also in replacing the damaged lead structure and, taking advantage of the momentum, in restoration of all stained glass windows. To achieve this, the foundation hired Antônio Sarasá, the hottest restaurateur in São Paulo. He told the reporter how the work is done.

One by one, the creations are removed and dismantled. Its structures consist of glass parts connected to lead solder, and have been made this way since the Middle Ages. Afterwards, the fragments are washed with special products to remove the layer of dirt accumulated over decades, without damaging the original paintwork. The next stage is the reassembly and return of the works to their spaces.

Repairing a stained glass window can take up to two days, depending on the complexity of its composition. The process is closely monitored by Faap managers attentive to every touch in the collection.

“The stained glass windows are of inestimable value. Not to mention their sentimental value. That’s why the restoration became a priority. It has always been a commitment of ours to look after the architectural, artistic and cultural heritage of the foundation, which is also from São Paulo and Brazil”, he says Celita de Carvalho, president of the board of trustees of Faap.

Of the 59 productions, 22 are ready to return to exhibition. Some of them are by Lasar Segall, easily recognized by their diagonal geometry. Tomie Ohtake, in her space figures, is another rejuvenated figure. The expressionist blackness portrayed by Di Cavalcanti continues to await the careful hands of the maintenance team, as does the vibrant nature of Tarsila do Amaral.

There are still projects by Bruno Giorgi, Antônio Gomide, Samson Flexo, Fulvio Pennacchi and Carlos Lemos. The 99-year-old man made a point of visiting his work after the restoration last week. Seeing the result, he cried.

There is, however, a curiosity about the collection. The artists in it only drew their ideas, the execution was by Conrado Sorgenicht, considered the pope of Brazilian stained glass artists. He and his family, originally from Germany and living in São Paulo since 1888, are responsible for the stained glass windows of the Catedral da Sé, the Theatro Municipal, Mercadão and the Faculty of Law of Largo São Francisco.

The Faap panel should be ready by the 25th. This is because, in May, the Brazilian Art Museum hosts an exhibition by Salvador Dalí, a Spanish painter who is an icon of surrealism.