20. Gianni Colombo’s Strutturazione cinevisuale abitabile: From Flickering
to Light

Gianni Colombo’s Strutturazione cinevisuale abitabile

Strutturazione cinevisuale abitabile (Inhabitable cinevisual structure) from 1964, a light environment by Milanese artist Gianni Colombo (1937–1993), is composed of two perpendicular square panels¹ fixed to a wall (fig. 20.1). The artwork is meant to be shown in a small, darkened room, with the spectator stepping into the space outlined by the lights. Short and intermittent bursts of light flash simultaneously on each panel.

The structure consists of two wooden frames and eight triangular steel sheets painted black, which divide each of the two panels into eight symmetrical segments set at a slight distance from one another. Stripes of acrylic glass² are inserted into these gaps. The whole construction is precariously held together, partly with screws and partly mounted with self-adhesive tape.³

Eight candle-shape incandescent light bulbs are installed inside each panel. The flashing of the sixteen bulbs is controlled by four switches mounted on the upper side of the horizontal panel. All four are simple bimetallic switches—like indicator switches—in a parallel circuit. Each switch controls four bulbs independently, which illuminate correlating acrylic stripes (the light lines).

Deterioration and mechanical stress had caused changes to the artwork’s constructional components, and the switches revealed partial blackouts and loss of function. Erosion of electrical contacts led to one light line in a permanent “on” position, and two light lines that slowly faded in and out,⁴ accompanied by a weeping sound. The use of bulbs with lower energy consumption⁵ seemed to influence the work’s functionality.

Several resources were consulted before preservation strategies were developed, including philosophical texts by Colombo, descriptions in exhibition catalogues, and construction drawings. The Archivio Gianni Colombo in Milan was visited, where Colombo’s former assistant Roberto Casiraghi⁶ was interviewed. Strutturazione cinevisuale abitabile was also compared with an identically titled object.

An instrument analysis of the materials was performed. In addition, a custom-programmed microcontroller (Arduino) with different sensors was used to examine the behavior of the switches. It appeared that no exact and completely regular rhythm, and therefore no perfect recurrent sequence of the flashes, is possible with the original technical components.

Based on all findings, a minimally invasive treatment was developed to preserve the components that help situate the artwork in the 1960s, thus maintaining as much authenticity as possible. The authors were cognizant of its unpredictability over time.⁷ The original switches were repaired, necessary treatment on the frame construction was implemented, and, in collaboration with Neue Galerie Graz, Universalmuseum Joanneum, detailed recommendations for transport, handling, and display were realized.⁸ Also, corresponding replacement bulbs were stocked, for authenticity and continuity.⁹

This process was an instructive example of the challenges and contradictions faced by conservators: the same title for seemingly different installations and objects; varying descriptions, possibly of the same installation, in several languages; the artistic idea versus its actual manifestation; the relevance of construction drawings; the difficulty of knowing which came first, the object or the drawings; evaluating different expert opinions; incomprehensible and unpredictable changes in behavior of the switches over time; and historic value versus artistic intent.

The thesis “From Flickering to Light,” which includes video documentation and art historical research, can serve as a guide for any future reconstruction of the artwork, such as rewiring the bimetallic switches or substituting similar switches or programming. All options take into account the difficulty of reproducing a specific random inaccuracy of the original components.

Notes