RESTORATION OF THE MURALS OF DZONG MONASTERY
In 2024, the Norbusum Foundation was granted an award of 44,999 USD by the U.S. Department of State Federal Assistant Award for the restoration of the murals of Dzong Monastery.
The applied project consists of two parts, the restoration of the murals and their study. The latter not only serves to clarify the history of the present murals but also forms the basis for communicating the project work to the public.
The applied project consists of two parts, the restoration of the murals and their study. The latter not only serves to clarify the history of the present murals but also forms the basis for communicating the project work to the public.
Restoration
The restoration is undertaken by Shesrig Ladakh and led by the art conservator Noor Jahan.
The restoration work is undertaken in two phases, the first phase focusing on documentation, condition assessment, consolidation, cleaning, and stabilisation of the wall paintings. The second phase concentrates on retouching and final treatments.
Phase 1: Consolidation and Cleaning
The main tasks during this phase are:
Phase 2: Retouching
The retouching will involve carefully matching colours and tones to reintegrate areas of loss and restore the visual harmony of the wall paintings.
The restoration work is undertaken in two phases, the first phase focusing on documentation, condition assessment, consolidation, cleaning, and stabilisation of the wall paintings. The second phase concentrates on retouching and final treatments.
Phase 1: Consolidation and Cleaning
The main tasks during this phase are:
- Documentation
- Condition Assessment
- Plaster Repair and Filling
- Plaster Consolidation:
- Paint Layer Consolidation:
- Cleaning
Phase 2: Retouching
The retouching will involve carefully matching colours and tones to reintegrate areas of loss and restore the visual harmony of the wall paintings.
Study
The project entails a detailed study of the murals by Christian Luczanits. While their general content is relatively clear, the different layers of past renovations and the secondary topic are to be documented and researched in detail to assess the murals’ art history, both in content and the chronological attribution of the different parts. This study, to which the Dzong Report 2025 04-06 is dedicated, also forms the basis for the repainting of lost sections.