GREen ENdeavor in Art ResToration (GREENART) with Fay Kiskira

In this episode, Lindsey is joined by Fay Kiskira to talk about the GREENART project that she participated in. This multi-year project partnered conservators, chemists, and sustainability specialists together to develop, test, and assess the impact of new products used in cleaning paper-based objects from various time periods and regions. As a conservator testing the hydrogels and nano fluids, Fay describes the challenges of working with a wide array of materials, the spectral analyses used to evaluate the treatments’ effectiveness, and the gratification found when a solution is successful.

Efthymia (Fay) Kiskira is a Paper Conservator and Researcher specializing in the conservation of paper-based cultural heritage. She holds a BSc in Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art from the Technological Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens and an MA with Distinction in Conservation of Fine Art from Northumbria University (UK). Between 2015 and 2020, she worked with a range of archives and libraries in Greece and the United Kingdom, gaining extensive experience in the conservation of archival and library collections. Since 2021, she has served as the Paper Conservator at the Archives of Asylon Aniaton in Athens, and in 2026 she founded Mnéme, a private conservation studio providing collection surveys, conservation treatments, and preservation consultancy for institutional and private collections.

For a similar discussion see S1 E13, where Roxy spoke with Soroya Alcala from the MFAHouston about their GREENART gels project with a paintings' focus. Additionally in S2 E7, Rosie Grayburn and Gwen Fife talked with Roxy about their research into greener solvents for multiple media types.

While reducing negative environmental impact is often the primary motivation for developing greener’ solutions for conservation treatments, we should also remember that the health of conservators is just as important. A greener solution or option should be less hazardous to both human and ecological health.

Resources:

• Eco-Friendly Materials in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Assessment of Green Gels and Fluids for Cleaning Surfaces of Cultural Heritage Objects
• GREENART
• HORIZONS GREen ENdeavor in Art ResToration
• ARTICON Lab
• Varnish removal on Works of Art on Paper, A Controversial Matter. Recent Reflections on the Materials and Methodology Used for the Treatment of the Varnish Layer
• Non Destructive Testing (NDT) methods for the evaluation of new green materials forartwork conservation
• GREENART at TATE
• Mnéme Paper Conservation