Girona City Council restores the Plensa and Piculives sculptures

Girona City Council has this week completed the restoration and updating of the Girona sculptures Capsa de llum , by Jaume Plensa, and Homage to Pau Casals , by Piculives. Both pieces are more than 20 years old and it was necessary to carry out conservation work to ensure their durability.

"These actions have the objective of maintaining and caring for urban art, which is our city's heritage", said the vice-mayor and Councilor for Culture of the council, Quim Ayats, who considers it "very important to make it visible and give it the recognition it deserves to the work and the artist who created it, contributing, at the same time, to bring the sculptural wealth closer to the public so that they can know it, value it and take care of it".

In the case of the Light Box sculpture, the original lighting system, which had become obsolete, has been replaced by an improved system of LED technology, in accordance with the technical renovation project of the sculpture authorized by Jaume Plensa. Precisely this evening, the last light tests will be carried out before refilling with water the small pond at the base of the sculpture, one of the characteristic elements of Plensa's work. The actions also include the comprehensive cleaning of the sculpture and the waterproofing of the upper part of the piece.

The work had been altered over the years by environmental and physical factors, such as temperature changes, road traffic vibrations or vandalism; chemical factors, such as pollution, and biological factors, such as the accumulation of bird droppings or plant growth. The restoration and change of lighting has been carried out by the company Impros and the lighting is by iGuzzini Ibérica. The total amount of the intervention was 20,422.83 euros (VAT included).

Regarding Homage to Pau Casals , by Josep Bosch "Piculives", the work has focused on the complete conservation and restoration of the work. The piece's exposure to inclement weather endangered its integrity, and made the restoration, consolidation and preventive conservation work carried out essential.

Specifically, the layer of general dirt caused in part by atmospheric pollution and humidity, which had altered the homogenous color of the stone, has been cleaned; spotty presence of paint and graffiti has been removed, and fissures and loss of petri material in cracks have been fixed. The performance cost 4,779.50 euros and was carried out by the restaurateur Clara Oliveras from Girona.