“I Bagni Misteriosi” - Sculpture installation

The sculptural installation known as “I Bagni Misteriosi” at Milan’s Triennale Gardens has recently been restored. The Milan municipal Culture Office that promoted the idea enlisted help from Mapei.
The original 1973 work by Giulio Macchi to a design by Giorgio De Chirico comprises a Swimmer, a Bather, a Swan, a Hemisphere, a Beach-hut, a Springboard and a Fountain. The bottom is finished in a painted pattern simulating rippling water. The sculpture was only intended for temporary display in the park and has weathered badly since first installed. De Chirico used Vicenza stone for the fountain, a limestone that deteriorates quickly. The restorers have recaptured the original appearance and recuperated all the pieces in the colours chosen by the artist.
Before getting to work, the Mapei Research and Development Lab did tests on the original materials and pigments, and made good use of this information in the various phases of restoration. The first was to clean all the surfaces and treat them with bactericide. The cement bed and sides of the pool were then consolidated and the cracks plugged. Portions of the swan’s neck had to be reconstructed and other parts needed stuccoing. Next, the perimeter walls had to be made good, protected and waterproofed, before the whole complex was restored to its original colours.

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