Dr Katherine Curran examines Romuald Hazoumè's work in Birmingham

In March 2015, Dr. Katherine Curran of UCL ISH visited the Birmingham Museums to undertake some analysis of plastic objects that form part of Romuald Hazoumè’s work: ARTicle 14: Débrouilles-toi, toi-même.  Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and solidphase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS), Katherine successfully identified many of the plastic types present in the artwork and identified some volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions coming from them.  Her analysis was used to make recommendations about the storage strategy for this interesting and complex piece.  

Caption: Dr. Katherine Curran of UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage performing analysis on-site in Birmingham