YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FORUM 2020

SESSIONS

The programme was divided into 4 sessions, each dedicated to a topic considered crucial in the debate on the conservation and transmission of cultural heritage. The different sessions, organized in collaboration with institutions of international importance, included short presentations that will be selected through the call.

Session 1 - Ethics and practice of conservation

The concept of ‘Cultural Heritage’ is increasingly broad and diverse: The theory and professional ethics of conservation are thus stimulated by new social and cultural contexts. A deep understanding of the nature of the work of art, its values and meanings, generates questions about the purposes of conservation, the tools at our disposal and the meaning of the profession. During conservative treatment, issues such as reversibility and the opportunity to make an intervention recognisable, as well as the choice of how to present the work of art and the relationship between ‘preservation’ and ‘maintenance’, undergo frequent changes. The critical thinking that guides the methodology and the technical applications chosen for the treatment are the themes of this session.

Session 2- Diagnostics and technologies applied to conservation
The development of scientific branches in the field of conservation produces diagnostic plans in continuous evolution. The need to deepen techniques, identify materials and understand their behaviour is fundamental for the protection of cultural heritage. This session aims to promote the adoption of innovative protocols in support of conservation treatment and for the conduct of preventive conservation measures.

Session 3- Museum professions
The role of the conservator is based on the development of interdisciplinary skills: how can they be valued in professional practice and how can they contribute to the different fields of action such as the management, conservation and dissemination of museum collections?The aim of this session is to identify consensus on the definition and train professionals in the field of conservation.

Session 4- History of conservation
The methods adopted in past centuries to conduct conservative treatments on cultural heritage are the result of a specific culture and different historical, geographical and cultural contexts. This session will collect studies and evidence that, starting from real case studies, can be the starting point for reflections and exchanges on how the conservative history of the artifact can influence the methodologies currently used in different international contexts.