(M)other tongue: the optic and haptic scale for restAURAtion works made of silica aerogel(M)other tongue: the optic and haptic scale for restAURAtion works made of silica aerogel Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication Δημοσίευση σε Περιοδικό με Κριτές 2024-02-292023enSilica aerogel is an attractive material for art as well as science and engineering. The characteristic transparency and low refractive index have made silica aerogel a novel material for visual arts under the name of aer()sculptures. Starting from one sculptural work by the first author, the artwork (M)other, is a novel concept proposing the use of silica aerogel in the “restAURAtion” of cultural heritage to replace classical plaster of Paris techniques. Restoring missing parts of a monument with a translucent material renders a new aesthetic quality. Light scattering disambiguates the missing arms of a Parthenon Caryatid, for example, an ethereal image adding to its historic value, which cannot be achieved by the plaster of Paris restoration technique.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology1062480–494 Michaloudis, Ioannis, 19..- Papachristopoulou Konstantina El-Zein Farah Pruciak Szymon Maravelaki Pagona Μαραβελακη Παγωνα Kanamori Kazuyoshi Springer Silica aerogel Visual arts Photography Nanomaterials Restoration Heritage