Invitation to the Defense of Teodora Raicu
The Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna kindly invites you to the defense of Teodora Raicu's dissertation project "Identification, Stability, and Aging Phenomena of Synthetic Organic Colorants used in Modern Inks and p-PVC".
The Examination Panel is made up of: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Carolin Bohlmann (chair), Univ. Prof. Dipl. Biol. Dr. Katja Sterflinger (supervisor), o.Prof. Dr. Sc. Vladan Desnica (external appraiser).
The defense will take place in English and in hybrid format, at the INTK at Kelsenstrasse 2, 1030 Wien, EG, Raum 0.10, Seminarraum 2 and via zoom. Zoom-Link: https://akbild-ac-at.zoom.us/j/62234204160
Abstract
Synthetic organic colorants (SOCs) are central to modern and contemporary artworks, yet their characterization poses significant analytical challenges: they occur in low concentrations, as complex colorant mixtures, and in objects where sampling must be kept to an absolute minimum or it is not allowed. This thesis develops minimally invasive analytical procedures for SOC characterization in modern inks — ballpoint, fiber pen, and acrylic — and plasticized polyvinyl chloride (p-PVC), combining accelerator-based secondary ion mass spectrometry (MeV SIMS), µ-Raman spectroscopy, microfading testing (MFT), and pyrolysis-gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS).
Applied to works by writers and/or artists including Austrian writer Friederike Mayröcker (1924-2021), Austrian caricaturist Erich Sokol (1933-2003), and Austro-American pop-artist Kiki Kogelnik (1935-1997), these protocols enabled the identification of colorant mixtures, assessment of photochemical stability, and characterization of complex polymer formulations — all from minute samples. This work demonstrates that rigorous, purpose-built analytical protocols, combining complementary techniques, can overcome the fundamental constraints of minimal sampling and mixture complexity in heritage science, and provides a replicable methodological framework for the scientific study and preservation of modern and contemporary cultural heritage.
Short biography
Teodora Raicu completed a Bachelor's degree in Conservation and Restoration at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania (2017–2020) before pursuing a Master's degree in Conservation Science for Cultural Heritage at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy, graduating in 2022. Drawn to the scientific investigation of artists' materials, she joined the Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts (INTK) at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 2023, simultaneously taking up a university assistant (prae-doc) position and beginning her doctoral studies. Her PhD research focuses on the chemical characterization and photodegradation of synthetic organic colorants in modern inks and plastics, employing mass spectrometry (MeV SIMS, Py-GC/MS) and spectroscopic techniques (µ-Raman, FTIR). Her work ultimately aims to support the long-term preservation of modern and contemporary cultural heritage objects.