CHAPTER 8: Open-air Sculptures and Public Art

Environmental conditions play an important role in the durability and aesthetic appearance of artworks, especially if they are located outdoors. Fortunately for humanity, our ancestors selected the most appropriate materials to build their palaces, monuments and sculptures and thanks to their knowledge we can now contemplate the glory of past empires and artistic movements. Unfortunately, air pollution and climate change endanger our cultural heritage owing to the chemical reactions that produce contaminants over the surface of stone and metallic artworks. However, even in the most favourable conditions, moisture, airborne marine particles, wind, etc., can damage, in a natural way, our cultural heritage. For these reasons, it is important to identify and understand all these weathering processes so as to be able to design conservation and restoration strategies to protect and preserve our cultural heritage for future generations.