Ethan Polignone
E.Polignone - Skilled hands and curious eyes: a journey into restoration
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Ethan, 20, studied scenery painting at the CSIA-Centro scolastico per le industrie artistiche in Lugano and is now pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Conservation at SUPSI. What is his dream? To travel the world with the curious eye of someone who seeks beauty everywhere, and then to settle down in Canada. He is certain that his manual and artistic skills, coupled with his passion, will open the right doors for him in the world of art.
Why did you choose to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Conservation at SUPSI?
It was a natural progression in my educational journey. During my studies at CSIA, I was introduced to the world of restoration, a field that immediately fascinated me because of its balance of technical rigor, manual dexterity, and artistic sensitivity. After participating in the Open Day, I realized that many of my skills, from manual dexterity and operational precision to creativity and aesthetic sense, would flourish in this program. Restoration allows me to combine practical work and critical reflection, tradition and innovation, art and science.
In your opinion, can those who study conservation and restoration be considered art doctors?
It's a common comparison, but I think it works well: just as a doctor observes and studies the human body, the conservator-restorer analyses the artwork, its materials, and the processes of degradation to understand its condition. Every intervention must be carried out with great care and awareness because the aim is to respect and protect the work and ensure its maximum durability over time, not to modify it. This requires manual and technical skills, in-depth knowledge of materials and of the history of the artwork, as well as observational skills and aesthetic sensitivity. In short, it's a nice mix. Knowledge of physics and chemistry is also essential because it enables us to understand how materials function and degrade over time.
So far, what has been the most interesting and exciting project you have worked on?
In the workshop, I really enjoyed the course on artistic materials and techniques because it allowed me to acquire basic knowledge about the materials and techniques used to create cultural heritage artefacts. We also had the opportunity to practise by making plaster casts, preparing mortar and experimenting with the sgraffito technique, which consists of engraving decorations on the surface of fresh mortar to create artistic patterns.
I also completed two internships. The first was at the Leventina Museum in Giornico, where I was primarily responsible for reorganising the museum, taking charge of historical artefacts, and cleaning, preserving, cataloguing, and arranging them. The second was at the Palazzo delle Orsoline in Bellinzona, where I participated in the safety and restoration of the Grand Council Hall vault. These were two different but certainly enriching experiences.
What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling in the same Bachelor's programme?
To anyone thinking of enrolling in the Bachelor of Arts in Conservation degree programme at SUPSI, I would say don't hesitate, especially if you love working with materials and are passionate about art history. The Bachelor's degree programme combines theory and practice in a very concrete way: from workshops in studios to internships in museums and construction sites, you really have the opportunity to learn by doing. It requires commitment and attention to detail, but it is a very stimulating and exciting path.