a longterm project by
Isabel&Balz Baechi foundation for wallpaintings
www.I+B.Baechi-foundation.ch
Binderstrasse 58
CH 87o2 Zollikon
Switzerland
Phone: ++41 44 391 82 42
Fax: ++41 44 391 82 49
baechi1@bluewin.ch
baechi1@yahoo.com
The taxfree and government-controlled foundation to protect wallpaintings was founded by the Swiss painter Balz Baechi and his wife Isabel in 2ooo.
It plans,finances and executes own projects. Actually the overall budget per annum is $ 5oo ooo.-
The first choice fell on Guge,16oo km west of Lhasa,where the mostImportant tibetan wallpaintings survive.in the monastery village of Tholing and the nearby castle-ruins of Tsaparang.They are are situated amidst the spectacular landscape of the young Sutlej-river or Langtang-Tsangpo at close to 4ooom.In 7 temples and half a dozen caves the dry climate and gradual abandon left acres of wallpaintings dating from 11th to 15th century in a pristine and unaltered state of conservation.In China Buddhist wallpaintings of Guge figure foremost and equal with those of Mogao Kuo.UNESCO-qualification is expected soon.(The chinese waiting list is long.) Ranking as a National monument involves many layers of administration –which explains a long,complicated and difficult approach of contact and communication.A 3-year period of preparations asked for much patience,Included were visits,documentation and building of working-dialectics Across the boundaries of language,logistics and behaviour.The project was new for everybody on both sides-TOCR was just 6 years oldSince 2oo1 collaboration was developed with
It is in 2010 still the only one in T.involving a foreign partner.Priority asked for roof repair.In 2oo5 we began with White temple in Tholing monastery.Because the the old intensive care of the heavy,flatArga-clay roofs is no longer feasible,we combined old and new,inserting A chinese –made heavy duty and damp-diffusing Swiss foil and reduced too much weight.Special attention is directed to transition to parapets and outflows,where the water drips on the wallpaintings underneath.
2oo6 the program included roof-repair of Red temple in Tholingand a general overhaul of the huge monastery complex.The work was executed by a Tibetan building team from Shigatse-province,foil-welders from Shanghai and Swiss wallpainting-restorers.Restoring of murals began 06 in Tholing-White templeAnd lasted until end of 2009.Fill-ins,cleanings and few retouchings,mainly of water streaks,resulted in a fascinating „modern“ dramaturgy ofevery possible state of conservation.We trained a gifted T.Tangka-Painter too.2007 Restorers from Dunhuang Academy assisted on North-Wall.In July 2010 a team of National experts from Beijing,Xian und Lhasa checked our Work. A new airport in Ali at 4300 m just opened and shortens the tedious 1600 km,3-day drive from Lhasa to 2 hours.The summer was lost for us,but compulsory governmental approval allows continuation in much bigger Red temple in 2011 – which is consecrated and in use.Cleaning of centuries-old butterlamp-dirt promises not only spectacular surprises but difficult problems to solve.We will be part of a new big restoration project for all Guge sites.Tholing monastery,a daugther of Sera,has 9 monks now and a young head-lama,whereas at our arrival in 2002 there were only 5. (As a side effect of the expert’s visit,the foundation is invited to collaborate with renowned Conservation-Institute of Xian University in the future.)
The Palace which was built 1750 by Davide Solaris is situated in Morbegno/ Valtellina in Northern Italy.The sober and generous building has outstanding architecture and is almost unaltered since construction. Rooms were decorated in fertile fusion of 2 artists,by Cesare Ligari,disciple of Tiepolo,who painted whirling ceilings,and the vedutista Giorgio Coduri,author of exquisitevely crafted yet powerful decorative wall-sceneries.The building is almost unaltered since construction.A big ballroom,or„sala di festa“ is a jewel of Rokoko painting outstanding in Lombardia.We discovered it by chance und initiated restoring in 2007 together with competent and eager local officials.The foundation of „Credito Valtellinese“,directed by a friend,offered to Share costs.Restoring was executed in 2009 and 2010 by a team half SwissAdn half Italian.Behind grey veils of dirt delicate silvery hues of Pastels,spreading over 2 and 3 dimensions,use witty trompe l’oeuilsTo create a mozartian symphony of space and colour.The foundation plans to continue to restoring 5 more halls of„Pian-terreno“,staircase and „piano nobile“.from 2o11 on.