Visitors to the Duomo in Barga were confronted by an interesting new sight this week as the large doors to Duomo were covered by semi translucent nylon sheeting held firmly in place completely hiding the wooden doors but also making the carved centre pieces strangely more prominent and visible and transforming the doors into a kind of shimmering installation artwork very reminiscent of the wrapping works by Christo.
The art critic David Bourdon once described the wrapping works by Christo as a “revelation through concealment” although Christo himself stating that the “wrapping” was not the common denominator of the works.. According to him what was really the common denominator was the use of fabric, cloth or textile – fragile, sensual and temporary materials which translated the temporary character of the works of art.
Either way it was an interesting visual game being played out as the sun cast shadows across the stretched nylon.
As Don Stefano Serafini pointed out, what is actually happening is renovation work which has started on the doors of the Duomo.
The wood has been treated with chemicals to fight against woodworm and so must remain enclosed in plastic for the next week or so. After that work can begin on repairing some of the damage which time and the elements have wreaked on the lower levels of the doors.
They were last worked on in 2002 when a grey coat of paint was added. Renovation experts have now stripped way that paint in places and revealed that underneath there was what looks like gilding on some of the central roses on the doors.
It could well be that once the doors are finished, hopefully by Christmas, they will come back in all their original splendour.
Watch this space.