Conservation Initiative for Art & Culture Heritage (CIACH), led by Mr. M.N. Manikandan and enriched by his 30+ years of experience, has a remarkable name in India in the field of Restoration and Conservation. We take up various types of work like restoring old paintings, stained-glass windows, oil paintings, ancient arts, mural paintings, modern art oil pastels, works done by famous sculpture artists etc. CIACH also undertakes new works of stained-glass windows and installation of decorative stained-glass works.
Art conservation and restoration is a science-based area of expertise, wherein the conservator has to research and analyse the journey taken by the work of art or artifact while being privy to the chemical aspects subjected to it by its environment and the mediums used. Art restoration techniques further involves maintaining a favourable environment for the art in terms of light, humidity, pest control and security. Preservation also entails the provision of proper display and storage materials.
Shri M.N. Manikandan has a rich experience of more than 29 years in the field of Painting, Art Objects and Monumental Conservation. He has been working in the field of conservation of stained-glass windows since 1996.
Shri Manikandan M.N. was awarded the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship, British Council India, in 1997. Through the scholarship he undertook a three-month long course on conservation of stained-glass, that took place in different studios across UK such as the York Glaziers Trust, Hollywell Glass and Studio Nineteen, supervised by Alfred Fisher MBE and other experts in the field. He has worked on stained-glass conservation projects with Alfred Fisher and other studios in the UK.
Conservation of Art refers to the technique employed to care for the history and value of the piece of art, with the focus on stabilizing the state-of-the-art object and halting any further degradation.
Restoration of Art involves repairing and improving the state of an art object, so that it resembles as close as possible to the original artist’s intent.
Being a minimal invasive approach, conservation of art aims to slow down the deterioration process of the art object whilst maintaining the integrity of the object with easily reversible techniques. Restoration improves the appearance and state of an artifact by repairing or restoring parts of the artifact and involves extensive and irreversible techniques. The decision to choose between the two is based on the history and value attached to the object of art.
Visitors are allowed into the CIACH Conservation labs to take a look at how the objects and artefacts are treated and conserved. Lab tours are free but must be scheduled in advance.
We do on-site surveys and assessments to decide on the best course of action to be followed in the conservation or restoration of the art piece.
Anyone, including individuals and art lovers with sentimental pieces of art, as well as museums, interior design companies, auction houses, royal collection trusts and so on.
