AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

The incorporation of unconventional, biological-related media in contemporary works of art introduces unique challenges for analysis and degradation studies, often requiring interdisciplinary approaches. The diverse collection of the M+ Museum includes objects composed of corporal materials such as human fat, ash, hair, and blood. One such object, Civilization Pillar, is a 3.5-meter-tall sculpture created with human biomaterials collected and processed by the artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu. It is composed of human fat gathered from 500 liposuction patients, which was mixed with waxes to produce two different textures. The sculpture consists of a hard wax mixture core surrounding a metal armature, with an outer layer of a soft wax mixture. The artists have also provided surplus materials of the hard wax and soft wax mixture reserved for conservation treatment.

Over time, the Pillar has exhibited of the production of a viscous and sticky exudate, which accumulated at the base surrounding the object. To understand the material profile of the sculpture and identify the underlying cause of the exudate, we are undertaking a multi-modal material investigation, involving a combination of analytical techniques including ATR-FTIR, GC-MS, and melting point analysis. By examining the material composition and studying the processing techniques employed by the artists, we aim to gain insights into the factors contributing to the observed condition issue.

In our ongoing investigation, ATR-FTIR analysis was conducted on the collected exudate samples as well as the two types of reserved materials: hard and soft wax-human fat mixtures. The obtained results revealed that the exudate exhibits a closer resemblance to the reserved hard wax mixture compared to the soft wax mixture. The insights gained from the ATR-FTIR analysis have guided our selection of appropriate mass spectrophotometric techniques, specifically THM-Py-GC/MS. This technique will be employed to achieve a more precise characterization of the fat and wax components present in the collected samples. It will also enable us to identify any degradation products and potential additives that may be present.

Based on our findings, it is believed that the production of exudate is a result of phase separation within the core (hard wax) mixture of the Pillar, potentially caused by incompatible components. This understanding of the underlying cause will inform our conservation approach to mitigate further exudate production and for collection care of this object. Furthermore, our research delves into the considerations required when approaching artworks composed of corporal materials.