GRAPHIC DESIGN

CONCEPT: KOIS ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS

The conservation and restoration of Pompeian frescoes describe the activities, methods, and techniques that have historically and are currently being used to care for the preserved remains of the frescoes from the archeological site of Pompeii, Italy. The ancient city of Pompeii is famously known for its demise in A.D. 79 after the fatal eruption of Mount Vesuvius wiped out the population and buried the city beneath layers of compact lava material. Kois Associated Architects were deeply influenced by the distinctive history of the area, where the Greek and the Roman world are intertwined in a unique dialogue. Faces and images that were found in the ancient murals of Pompeii are retranslated and presented in a contemporary graphic manner that circumscribes the arcade of Palestra Grande like a new envelopment. We started bit mapping the frescoes in the old handy manner, using soft graphite pencils. Dot by dot, we represented every shadow, light, and atmosphere with extraordinary attention to detail respecting the rules of the genuine ones. Spotting carefully the whole atmosphere of the large frescoes, we large-scaled the dotty black and white ones, creating a unique —almost transitional— passing through time. From A.D. 79 to today. Using the same way. From antiquity’s frescoes’ experts to nowadays graphite gesture simplicity.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GIORGOS SFAKIANAKIS