Detective, doctor, surgeon, chemist, historian, artisan: an art restorer must be all these and more in order to diagnose and treat a damaged artwork in the best way. A tapestry restorer could spend many hours in a lab colour-matching up to 250 different tones of thread to ensure the repair work respects the natural fading of the tapestry. A restorer of a contemporary design piece must work to find the right chemical solvents to treat the particular materials the artist used. Each project is unique, and each restored work is not only a product of the artist who created it but of the unsung hero whose passion and attention to detail restored the artist’s original vision.

Discover the skill, passion and talent of art restorers as they work on eight pieces of antique and contemporary art. They include: a 15th century Holbein tapestry, a 16th century Florentine wooden chest, an 18th century wall clock by watchmaker JB Duchesne, and a green polyurethane foam foot created in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce. By wearing Go-Pro cameras, each artisan offers a close-up view of their skillful gestures as they work to restore these unique pieces. Visitors can also watch a demonstration of a 3D laser scanner used to diagnose artworks, and see before and after pictures of restored artworks. You’ll come away with a real understanding of art restoration and a new appreciation of the talented hands and minds that undertake such delicate work.