Nielaba’s lacquer resin mixture can also be applied onto prints, including large-format ones. Although the technique of mounting prints on acrylic sheets, which was devised in the 1970s, seems satisfactory, it is far from perfect. Art collectors and museum conservators have for a long time been aware of its limitations. It may cause irreversible changes to the structure of the photograph – fading over time, delaminating or scratching, which can lead to the destruction of exhibits of great value.

The lacquer mixture and its application technique invented by Nielaba is extremely work-intensive and costly, but it is the best investment in the future of any artwork. Its strength lies in the ability to fight time and ensure incredible durability of photographs, which can thus be archived and provide the future generations with an opportunity to admire them for decades. The technique can be used both for contemporary and vintage prints. 

Prints coated with Nielaba’s lacquer mixture are immediately recognisable due to greater colour intensity and enhanced depth. The viewer has an impression that the picture has turned into a painting.

Moreover, depending on the substrate of the print (e.g. aluminium), Nielaba’s technique enables the user to plastically form the print in accordance with individual preferences. The weight of a print coated with his mixture is much lesser then the work mounted on an acrylic sheet.

Importantly, any damage caused to Nielaba's coating covering the print can be repaired by him.  

The photographs below present the exhibition of Nielaba’s installation art titled "I. Auschwitz-Birkenau" in 2016. The 3x4 metre photograph was coated with Nielaba’s resin lacquer mixture. It was exhibited outdoors and the viewers could enter into interaction with it by touching it and also walking through it.

Short movie presenting the installation