from Institute of Conservation (UK) -
Conservation Awards 2007
go to short-lists

Once again, the annual awards given out for outstanding conservation and digital preservation projects in the UK. Results will be announced on 27th September at the British Museum.
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from Radio Singapore International -
Heritage Conservation Centre
go to programme notes
go to MP3 (2.29 Mb)

A nice (audio) overview of the work that goes on behind the scene.
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from GCI - Conservation Newsletter -
Volume 22, Spring 2007: Environmental Management
go to contents
download PDF (4.6 MB)

from Tate Research Papers -
"Historically Accurate Reconstructions of Artists’ Oil Painting Materials"
by Leslie Carlyle and Maartjee Witlox
go to article

A few interesting articles updated recently. From the Getty Conservation Newsletter, a whole issue dedicated to the idea of passive environmental control, all the more relevant in the context of today's increasing concerns with sustainability and depletion of natural resources. In the Tate Research Papers, an article which discusses the relevance of material and scientific analysis in the context of art historical research.
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s/pores: New Directions in Singapore Studies
go to online journal

Citizen Historian: The Unrewarded Amateur Conscience
go to online journal

Archives & Social Studies: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Research
go to online journal

Beginning Preservation: A forum for discussing preservation and conservation
go to weblog

Added several links on the sidebar which point to online journals and weblog that may be of interest.
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from The Art Newspaper -
Elton John concerts in Venice raise concern about possible damage to St Mark's Square
go to article

from The Guardian -
Fears for Gaudi masterpiece as rail tunnel approved
go to article

Another 2 examples of the fragile cause of architecture conservation in the face of relentless urban development and activities.
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from The Art Newspaper -
Getty sets standards in China
go to article

An update on the long-term project at Mogao, near Dunhuang, where the Getty has been very sensitive not to be seen as imposing a Western approach to site and heritage conservation on the local context. Even if nothing else, the crafting of a set of site conservation guidelines, also known as the "China Principles" would be an advance on the progress made in the thinking of the large-scale preservation of heritage sites. Also see the Getty project web-page.
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from The New York Times -
Do You Know Where That Art Has Been?
go to article

Yet another article on the sometimes dubious antiquities trade which attracts and support the illicit trade in antiquities. However, whit sets this article apart from others on the same topic is that it is featured in the business section of a prominent newspaper.

Two other earlier audio programmes from NPR which also discussed the complex and entangled web of antiquities trade and the attempts to stamp out illicit activities.

"Getty Villa: Elegance Hides Darker Story"
20th January 2006
(go to web-page)

"A Trove of Stolen Treasure"
17th May 2006
(go to web-page)
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from Guardian -
Jewels in the crown to be protected. But who will pay heritage price?
go to article

Another step taken in the UK to strengthen efforts made to preserve historic buildings and sites. However, identification and registering of such sites, can only be the first step towards preservation. It serves nobody any good if a site is ear-marked but left derelict due to inadequate resources. The underlying difficulty has to do with the issue of private property (rights) versus public heritage (responsibilities). The two need not be mutually exclusively, but for all intent and purpose, is usually perceived as such.
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from New York Times -
Olympic Construction Unearths Ancient Treasure Trove
go to article

A triumph of sorts for preservation - even in the face of crass commercialism in the run-up to the Olympics in Beijing. This is a welcomed contrast to earlier callous attitude towards heritage preservation in this over-heated economy where history is often perceived to be standing in the way of progress.

"There are two enemies of antiquity protection," said Xu Pingfang, president of the China Archaeological Society. "Construction is one. Thieves are the others. They know what they want, and they destroy the rest."

Challenging Building: the search for solutions
go to web-page

A recently concluded conference looking at issues of environmental control and risks.particularly in the context of adaptive re-use of historic buildings for museum collections.

You can read the articles on-line. Alternatively a PDF version of all the post-prints can be downloaded here (PDF file, 1MB).

The list of papers as follow:

Tim Padfield
"How to design a museum building that protects the collection without destroying itself"
on-line article here

Jane Brunning
"Denbighshire Record Office: an essay in pragmatism"
on-line article here

Jonathan Ashley Smith
"Current thinking on environmental standards"
on-line article here

R.E. Child
"The new Waterfront Museums Swansea: Teething problems and solutions"
on-line article here

Gerallt D. Nash
"Introducing heating into re-erected traditional buildings"
on-line article here

Heather Perry
"Hot Hot Hot in the summer"
on-line article here

Jane Henderson
"Newtown Textile Museum: You will need to wear a woolly?"
on-line article here

[ Thanks to Conservation Dist List for the prior alert. ]
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from The Art Newspaper -
Views of Russia’s crumbling modernist heritage
go to article

The pervasiveness of an awareness of and active participation in heritage conservation, in all its different forms, would surely be a sign of a stable and highly developed socio-political community. With the collapse of societal infrastructure, heritage preservation becomes easily expendable and, hence, neglected.
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from Los Angeles Times -
Saving a treasured trove, ever so slowly
go to article

An update on the digitisation project of a set of valuable manuscripts at the Greek Orthodox monastery in Mt. Sinai, Egypt. Previously posted here in 2004, the latest is that a local is now employed to oversee the digitisation process, which is expected to take many more years. The end result will surely speaks for itself, even it may take what seems like an eternity.

from Ming Bao
Qin Terracotta Warriors under microbiological attack
go to article

Other links about the collection:
go to Wikipedia
go to Travel China Guide

News from a Chinese Paper on how the Qin Terracotta Warriors, one of China's greatest discovered heritage assets in the 20th century and which is dated back to 246 BC, are suffering from the attack of 48 different microscopic organisms.

A professor from Belgium, Paul Stoffels, upon examination and analysis said that the microbiological attack is in 3 main aspects: surface layer of the Warriors, the wall and floor area of the site. There are also damages in the colour and the internal structure of the terracotta figures. Scientists are currently actively seeking solutions to solve this problem.

[Thanks to Francisco Chan from the Museum of Macau who alerted us the news.]

from The Guardian
Canterbury's miracle
go to article (2nd October 2006)

from BBC News
Crumbling cathedral 'needs £50m'
go to article (3rd October 2006)

from International Herald Tribune
Britain's Canterbury Cathedral appeals for funds for repairs
go to article (3rd October 2006)

from Christian Today
£50m Needed to Save Canterbury Cathedral
go to article (5th October 2006)

from Episcopal News Service
Global fundraising campaign launched to save Canterbury Cathedral
go to article (9th October 2006)

Save Canterbury Cathedral Fundraising
go to web-site

Having spent some time in Canterbury in my younger days, I recall going around and looking at some of the diverse range of conservation and restoration works already happening there some 15 years ago.

It seems that the biggest threat facing such a historical monument comes not from the passage of time, but rather from an overwhelming number of visitors - both tourists and pilgrims. This could indeed be a case study of how and why heritage tourism might not be a sustainable solution for the long-term preservation of historic sites or monuments.

from PhysicsWeb
A sensitive approach to frescoes
go to article

from Seed Magazine
Physicists develop tool to diagnose Italian frescoes
go to article

A new technique which measures the moisture and salt content of frescoes up to a surface depth of 2cm into the surface, without the need for sampling or removal of materials. This is achieved by a combination of using a microwave source and a detector which differentiates the resonance frequency of the reflected radiation from the materials.

This would be a definite improvement over current techniques which use infra-red radiation as a detection source - the limitation being only the very top fresco surface is monitored as well as the inability to detect salt levels, which often is the primary cause of deterioration in wall frescoes.

from yesterday,sg
Post-Earthquake Cultural Resource Documentation Trip to Yogyakarta
go to article

Highlights of a talk given at the Heritage Conservation Centre in Singapore. [ Thanks to yesterday.sg for the post! ]

from The Natural History Museum
Antarctic heritage and conservation
go to project web-page
go to Antarctic conservation blog

If there is such a thing as extreme conservation, then this must be it! Braving freezing winter weather, 3 conservators go about the task of carrying out in situ conservation work at the South Pole, and living to tell the world via the project weblog. The project is supported by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.

[ Thanks to MuseumBlogs.org for the heads-up. ]

from The Art Newspaper
A moment of truth for all in the antiquities field
go to article

A timely article to keep the debate on antiquities trade in view. Museums, as much as collectors, can often collude (unintentionally or otherwise) in what has been universally declared as illegal under the 1970 UNESCO convention on cultural properties.

The suggestion is to deal with the problem on 2 fronts - one, to strengthen the commitment of museums to decline cultural artefacts with undocumented provenance, even as gifts; and, two, to consider allowing the legitimate public and private acquisition of (duplicate or similar) archaeological finds from documented source. The success of these efforts would depend largely on a strong recognition of reality and the right thing to do - as consumers and purveyors of cultural heritage products.

from Rolex Awards News Update
Reviving Silk Tradition
go to update

An update on Kikuo Morimoto, who had helped to revived the traditions of hand-made silk in Cambodia in the local community (see previous post). The project has now expanded to included a village, in Chot Sam, which complements the original silk factory, in Siem Reap, all based on a sustainable model of development. This would be without doubt a model of preservation (of heritage and the environment) par excellence.

from The Guardian
Extreme weather 'blighting buildings and beauty spots'
go to article

One more unexpected use of documentation mentioned earlier of architectural heritage and sites - tracking of deterioration due to weather effects as part of the larger mapping of global climate change.

from The Times
Rocked to our foundations
go to article

from The Washington Post
What Was and Never Shall Be
go to article

from The Guardian
Tomb raiders
go to article

As we approach the thrid anniversary of the recent war, it is timely to be reminded of the fragility of our collective cultural heritage in the face of unbridled aggression. If the destruction of tangible cultural hertiage is a war crime - albeit a minor one at that - then the evidence in Iraq was plenty enough (see here and here). Earlier reports of looting and lax security in the aftermath of the invasion also cast a pall over the claims of "freedom" and "liberation" - however noble-sounding that might be.

from DER SPIEGEL
Indonesia Investigates German Archeologist for Fraud
go to article

I guess I wrote too soon. [ News article by way of Dr. Geoff Wade on the Singapore Heritage mailing list ]

from Getty Conservation Institute
Newsletter 20.3 (Fall 2005)
go to newsletter

The latest issue of the GCI newsletter focuses on the various aspects and considerations when documenting large-scale monuments and historic sites. In the lead article, it was discussed that the role of documentation primarily fulfils 3 functions:

(1) recording and collating of available information;
(2) as a reference for conservation and preservation decisions; and
(3) for advocacy and communication.

It would be interesting to apply these considerations to the usual documentation that is done on a much smaller scale (but not any less complex, sometimes) for museum artefacts.

from Guardian
Good dramas need protection, just like historic buildings
go to article

One interesting suggestion which seeks to list dramatic literature works according to their merit and rarity. The idea is to help theatre groups focus attention and resources on a range of possible productions based on artistic value rather than exclusively on market (or audience-size) value. As the "rare" dramas are being produced and staged with regular frequency, they are then "preserved", in the intangible sense.

Closing the year with links to 3 articles, each covering an issue which could be seen as pointing to emerging trends in heritage preservation and conservation.

from CBC
U.S. artifacts at risk because of poor storage
go to article

The recent Heritage Health Index Report on the state of storage of heritage collections in the United States may be a depressive read, but the underlying forces resulting in such a state of affairs began much earlier, when pressure to reign in costs in museums often resulted in support functions being sidelined. In moving forward, there must be renewed recognition (and funding) for the essential long-term nature of the care of tangible heritage artefacts - building both (in-house) professional expertise and infra-structure for processes and physical spaces.

from New York Times
If Cambodia Can Learn to Sing Again
go to article

With intangible heritage, the picture seems rosier, with increasing levels of awareness and number of initiatives in documenting, recording and making available various reference resources of intangible traditional heritage, which might otherwise be lost due to a break in transmission. Disruptive acts of war or political apathy, notwithstanding.

from BBC news
Classic poets' voices go online
go to article

Advances in digital technologies have made the realisation of a separate category of heritage materials inevitable. Digital collections, which often incorporate references to either tangible or intangible heritage, are increasingly seen as the next frontier in heritage preservation. Although not likely to supersede tangible or intangible forms of heritage materials, digital collections will nevertheless fulfill the role of enhancing the long-term effort in preserving the memory of human civilisations across the world.

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Wishing one and all a Happy and Peaceful New Year!

from BBC News
Clothes of 1924 head for Everest
go to article

An interesting way to understand history by re-creating in faithful detail of what was known. And using that recreation in the way it was meant to function. With the increasing focus on the need to preserve intangible heritage (as opposed to the more established work in tangible heritage), perhaps more recognition may be given to that extremely interesting terrain in between the two - that of making tangible what was previously intangible through recreation or reconstruction in a manner as close to the original as possible.

from Los Angeles Times
Treasure of an island cruises the rivers around Manhattan
go to article

How does one go about "preserving" an unrealised artwork? The (re)construction of Robert Smithson's Floating Island, which had remained as a sketch since the death of the artist, is an interesting take on preserving an artist's idea as against the final physical materials of the work. There is also a video of the project on Whitney Museum's web-page.

from UNESCO
2005 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award Winners
go to web-page

The recently announced winners for the conservation of built heritage in the Asia-Pacific region inculded a team from the National University of Singapore who did some highly commendable work in Lijiang, China (see NUS press release and more information).

from The Art Newspaper
Travel vandals: the Grand Tour has gone sour
go to article

When the aim of sustaining cultural heritages is solely driven by commercial interests, inevitably, its becomes unsustainable. This is the dilemma facing listing (and also de-listing) cultural heritage monuments and sites from the World Heritage Sites list. Perhaps a more sensible approach, as one of the solutions proposed in the article, is to attend to the value and meaning of such experiences:

"[T]ourists should get better educated about where they are going so that they respect it more and get more out of it. Slower, better informed travel, with the readiness to put something back in the way of direct contribution to improving and protecting the experience is the way to be a tourist."

It could also be said that such a need for self-education and reciprocity extends to all cultural heritage "tourists", including visitors to museums and other cultural heritage institutions.

from The New York Times
Commission Preserves the Past at the Cost of the Future
go to article

A critique of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in New York when its decision effect a compromised design for the expansion of the Whitney Museum of American Art. The reason for the Commission's decision seems to be a concern over the razing of one Madison Avenue brownstone if the original expansion plan is approved. As is evident from the title, the author finds the decision 'weak- kneed' as he felt that the Commission's charge is not only to preserve history but to decide when exceptions ought to be made, thus ensuring development for the benefit of the cultural well-being of the city.

from Channel News Asia
Asian Film Archive aims to preserve regional films
go to article

from Today
Group to archive Singapore films
go to article

Further update on the launch of the Reel Emergency Project initiative by the Asian Film Archive. The privately-funded initiative to archive made-in-Singapore and Asian films was previously noted in an earlier post here. Now, the National Archives of Singapore has come on board with help in film restoration and preservation expertise.

from The Guardian
Goodbye to all that?
go to article

In the equation between urban development and preservation, a lack of political will and patronage (in terms of funding allocation) is a sure-fire way to tilt the balance away from preservation. This is borne out by the conclusion of the article, which does not appear to bode well for the situation in the UK:

"Not only is conservation unpopular with the government - and English Heritage is losing the argument on the key planning debates - but the organisation senses that the wider climate of opinion has turned against the heritage lobby. It is well aware that even its name is a handicap in its attempts to influence the metropolitan establishment which finds the word 'heritage' deeply off-putting. If they could, they would change it to something less dated."

from IIC Nordic Section
Museum Storage Buildings : Physics and Function

Following Morten Ryhl-Svendsen's original e-mail announcement on the IAQ-Museum list, attached are the 3 English extracts from the postprints:

- "Designing a museum store" by Tim Padfield
(PDF format, 155 kb)

- "Managing collections in store" by Suzanne Keene
(PDF format, 278 kb)

- "Storing objects for future use" by Jonathan Ashley-Smith
(PDF format, 471 kb)

from Tehran Times
Researchers to document ancient Iranian architecture
go to article (PDF format)

A timely project, if recent developments in the geopolitics of the region (and the possible ensuing devastation to be expected) is anything to go by.

from GCI Newsletter
Partnerships: A Joint Issue with UNESCO
go to newsletter (HTML version) or (PDF version, 3Mb)

In the latest GCI newsletter, the exploration of the theme of partnerships is timely. As the awareness of heritage broadens in the larger society, partnerships across different social sectors become critical in achieving an enduring impact for heritage conservation / preservation efforts. No longer can we assume the innate "goodness" of heritage conservation or preservation efforts. Indeed, an active engagement with all aspects of society is important in ensuring the sustainability and relevance of conservation / preservation projects.

from SEPIA (Safeguarding European Photographic Images for Access)
Care of Photographs
by Susie Clarke & Franziska Frey
go to publication (PDF format)

A comprehensive overview of the various factors affecting the deterioration of photographs and their long-term care, including considerations for digitisation and access. Other online resources relating to photographic materials, in terms of collections management and digitisation, can also be downloaded from SEPIA's publications web-page.

from The Journal Gazette
Nothing golden about silencing of some sounds
go to article

With the increasing rate of obsolescence in the useful life of present day equipment and machinery, the sounds that such contraption makes would become increasingly rare - to the point of disappearing forever. This makes the "preservation" of everyday sounds a perfectly worthy endeavour.

from China Daily
Can hi-tech save Peking Opera?
go to article

Yet another example of the usefulness of information technology in dealing with the practicalities of preserving intangible heritage. However, it is also important to note that besides the use of technology, it is the active participation from the "grassroots" that would help determine the success or failure of such a vast undertaking. Preservation by central decree will most definitely be a surefire way to fail.

from The Straits Times
Heritage roads
go to article (PDF format)

Introducing a sub-discipline in heritage conservation - for the conservator with green fingers, or for the horticulturalist with a historic bend.

from Today
Film buffs to the rescue
go to article
(PDF version here and here)

Definitely a noteworthy development within the larger picture of heritage preservation in Singapore. It is always an encouraging sign when preservation efforts moved beyond the walls and confines of museums. For the yet-to-be-set-up Asian Film Archive - which is to be a private enterprise - the government agencies identified as being critical to its mission (perhaps from a funding perspective) are the Media Development Authority (MDA) and the Film Commission.

from The Art Newspaper
How much difference does Unesco make?
go to article

On the occasion of the announcement of 3 additional sites located on the Indian sub-continent being added to UNESCO's World Heritage list, the article delves into the conflicting motivations and competing concerns of having a historical area listed.

First and foremost would be the boost to the local tourism industry versus preservation needs. Next up would be long-terms sustainability versus greater access. It would be mistaken to assume that there is some golden (or pre-determined) standard by which such contradictions would be magically and effortlessly resolved. At best, it would be a continual search and dialogue of workable solutions at the local level.

It is also critical to note that being listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List affords no legal protection or financial support. Perhaps, it points to a larger problem of funding (or more precisely, under-funding) of the heritage sector on a global scale.

from Smithsonian Magazine
Tunnel Visionary
go to article

from New York Foundation for the Arts Quarterly - Fall 2003
go to interview

If one can be allowed to stereotype, then it can only be a New Yorker who is willing to devote a better part of her life to documenting urban ruin and dereliction as heritage. As Julia Solis new book (see a selection of images here) and web-site, Dark Passage, attest, it is both fascinating and mind-boggling to be engaged in this seemingly Herculean project of contemporary urban archaeology.

Julia Solis is also the Founder and Executive Director of Ars Subterranea which seeks to promote a greater understanding and awareness of the historic urban fabric of New York by organising creative projects. Aptly, Ars Subterranea has as its tag-line:"The Society for Creative Preservation". One of the recently completed project is a photographic presentation, entitled The Garden of Crumbling Delights, which is both an effort "to document America's rapidly vanishing ruins" and "a celebration of the beauty inherent in architectural decay" at the same time.

from The Times
Don't sell our lost treasure on eBay, begs museum
go to article

from The New York Times
Museum Asks EBay to Block Some Sales
go to article

and

from The Sunday Times
Forbidden City's tacky shops sent packing
go to article (PDF format)

When commercial interests override heritage preservation concerns, it can only be an indication of a larger underlying callousness for heritage as a collective social good. Cultural heritage is seen to be worthy of effort because of its financial returns. That indeed would be the low point of human civilisation!

from The Guardian
Time to turn back tourist tide in Valley of the Kings
go to article

from BBC News
African rock art under threat
go to article

Another 2 reasons why "Humans" should be classed as a top factor of deterioration of cultural heritage - if not the top factor of deterioration.

from The Guardian
Unesco's 'blue berets' to rescue cultural treasures
go to article

The new UNESCO set-up of "cultural protectors" would be a welcomed enhancement of the work of the International Committee of the Blue Shield, which was set up in 1996 - also considered as the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross - and has as its mission : "to work for the protection of the world's cultural heritage by co-ordinating preparations to meet and respond to emergency situations."

from The Straits Times
Sentosa bid to buy ... sunken Tang treasures
go to article (PDF format)

This latest story of how Singapore's foremost tourist resort island sees the uses of heritage is a sobering counter-point to the idealism of heritage preservation and presentation as we know it. Increasingly, the larger issue (and very real problem) of sustainability of heritage preservation outside a mass-market paradigm cannot be simply ignored. It also points to the utter bankruptcy of ideas for funding heritage efforts, if not for the mass-market option.

Also, if anyone else had noticed that the story involves a Chinese cargo bound for the Near East, shipwrecked off the coast of present-day Indonesia, salvaged and sold by a German company, to be purchased by Sentosa Development Corporation of Singapore, which has an American as its CEO. Perhaps, the global underpinning of such a story is inevitable (or is it deliberate?) given the core (tourism) business of the potential buyer of the sunken cargo.

from Conservation : The GCI Newsletter
Heritage Charters and Conventions
go to Summer issue

The latest issue of Getty Conservation Institute's Newsletter, providing an overview and discussion of the various international charters that are in place to protect cultural heritage around the world. There is a particular article looking at the specific challenges in Asia.

from Discover
Bring Back the Buddha
go to article

Following the wanton destruction of a unique heritage site by the Taliban, international efforts and proposals to restore the over-sized standing Buddhas of Bamiyan have not been in short supply. After such a drastic turn of events, would any restoration effort do justice to the violent past of the site? Or would an empty niche be the more "authentic" and evocative approach?

from The New York Times
An Unmoveable Feast of Hemingway History Struggles to Survive
go to article

A stark reminder that petty political squabbles can often derail the best of international efforts in heritage preservation. What more that the perpetrator of such narrow-mindedness is supposedly the greatest freedom-fighting nation of all times.

from National Geographic News
Dictators "Defacing" Famed Burma Temples, Editor Says
go to article

How historic sites of a country are treated can often be taken as a proxy barometer for measuring the social "well-being" of a society. The political upheaval and subsequent curtailment of political freedom which happened in Burma is obviously having a negative impact on significant heritage sites in that country.

from Noticias.info
UNESCO to Publish Handbook on Language Preservation and Documentation
go to article

There is always something ennobling about grassroot efforts, and the preservation of intangible heritage in the form of endangered languages is no exception. Imagine if this ground-up approach to preservation could be extended to all efforts in preservation - where we see non-specialists volunteers from all walks of life working together with specialists in documenting, condition checking and even working on simple conservation treatments. Now, that would truly shift the sense of ownership and responsibility of heritage to a wider group of people, thus making long-term preservation efforts more sustainable.

from Bernama
A National Heritage Board In The Pipeline, Says Dr Rais
go to article

Some policy-level development on the Malaysian front regarding heritage preservation efforts.

from The Straits Times
Cash crunch at heritage havens
go to article part 1, part 2 (PDF format)

Though the lack of funds is a very real problem in the preservation of large and complex heritage sites, a far greater problem is the lack of will - and usually at the political or bureaucratic level which matters the most. It does not speak well of a society when the call for preservation (whether from neglect or from unsustainable tourism) comes from external parties rather than from the local communities. This is a strong indication of the social and political disenfranchisement of these communities.

from The Independent
Afghanistan's Buddhas may rise again
go to article

Still very much shrouded in confusion on whether the destroyed historic sites should be restored - and if to be restored, to what degree of finish. One cannot deny the senseless destruction wrought by the Taliban regime, but is restoration the only option in preserving the site?

from Xinhua Online
HK to air new radio program on heritage
go to article

What started out as a public consultation exercise in Hong Kong on urban heritage preservation policy evolved into an on-air collaborative oral history project. One cannot help but draw the conclusion that this is what community relevance and public outreach in heritage preservation is positively about.

This project will enjoy joint-support from government agencies as well as a non-government organisation, The Conservancy Association. Interestingly, The Conservancy Association, has as its mission to preserve both the natural environment, as well as the cultural heritage of Hong Kong.

from Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter
Preventive Conservation
go to newsletter

The focus of the latest issue of the GCI Newsletter is on preventive conservation - tracing the inter-disciplinary development of the field, the challenges of application and featuring 2 specific areas in lighting and climate controls in historic buildings.

from The New York Times
Along the Silk Road, China Begins to Guard Its Heritage
go to article

As China ascends in terms of economic wealth, its heritage wealth becomes even more of a touristic draw and reaching potentially unsustainable (and self-destructive) levels. Hence, the efforts of the Getty Conservation Institute to put in place a set of China Principles.

"The China Principles, which generally update existing international conventions, enshrine conservation principles and mandate an interdisciplinary management process. They require a master plan that, for example, researches and sets visitor capacity limits. These guidelines have now largely been disseminated to the provinces, which are responsible for most heritage sites."

from New York Times
Where Pagodas Draw Tourists, Concrete Is Unwelcome
go to article

A curious development in heritage preservation in Luang Prabang - the former royal capital of Laos - whereby the traditional is associated with being poor. Hence, as the economical situation improves, the demand for new architectural materials (especially concrete building) increases, which is at odds with the stipulations for maintaining the site on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It also points to a larger problem of misaligned perspectives:

"For many residents, the outsiders' passion for the old is misplaced, a cultural misunderstanding that refuses to respect their desire to spend a newfound wealth that has been a long time coming."

And especially problematic when the dichotomy is drawn between locals and foreigners - with the latter seen as "impeding" the material progress of the local community in the name of heritage preservation (and probably with good intentions).

from BBC News
World heritage sites 'threatened'
go to article

from The Guardian
Cologne cathedral threatened by tower blocks
go to article

Man builds; man destroys (intentional or otherwise). Perhaps the destructive nature of human endeavours should be listed prominently as a factor of deterioration of cultural heritage materials - in addition to light, humidity, pest, careless mishandling etc.

from The Art Newspaper
Versailles: feud jeopardises interior restoration but gardens are completed
go to article

At the risk of gross generalisation, it could be surmised that the spirit of the best of heritage preservation efforts are primarily driven by a deep-seated sense of public service, which can often be at odds (or in direct conflict) with a profit-driven enterprise approach. Perhaps this latest news from the French front could serve as a harbinger of things to come in 2 recent developments posted earlier.

from NPR
U.S. Base Damages Ancient Babylonian Temple
listen to audio report

War and heritage preservation simply do not mix. No further comments.

from UNESCO: Culture
Cultural Pluralism
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12321&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Conservation can be controversial. Why do we do what we do? A decision may appear more acceptable to one but less appealing to another. Understanding a culture perhaps could be one good way in first learning to comprehend and empathise the whys.

"People invent, refine and embellish their cultures through contact with and by borrowing from other cultures. Cultures are ways of living together".

from Voice of America
American Philanthropists to Return 'Forbidden City' to Former Glamour
go to article
go to audio report (RealAudio format)

A praiseworthy effort to reach across cultures by funding a large-scale preservation project, which otherwise might not materialise. However, one cannot help but wonder whether national pride would come into the picture? Or is the historic complex a mere curious cultural relic (and a tourist trap) in present-day China which has done away with dynastic monarchism?

Perhaps, what is most curious is the selection of the particular restoration site - a retirement lodge of the Emperor Qianlong, who had been credited in opening up the Middle Kingdom to the influx of Western (imperial) influences. The lodge had previously functioned as a private theatre pavilion and contained an admixture of Chinese ornate motifs and Italian paintings executed in the 18th century. It makes one wonder whether the decision to select the site for this worthy cause could have been an unconsciously (or consciously) "political" one?

from Xinhua Online
Digital tech in use to preserve Dunhuang
go to article

This is yet another use of digital imaging technology to re-create a heritage site in order to "preserve" it. This recall similar attempts here, here and here. The need to re-create a virtual replica, however imperfection that solution might be, throws into sharp relief the 2 conflicting trends which plague most, if not all, successful historic and heritage sites.

On the one hand, with the spread of information about the site, visitors would arrive in increasing numbers. And in tandem, accelerated deterioration of the site would usually accompany this increase. Limiting access appears to be the preferred compromise. And with the help of present-day digital imaging technology, much can be achieved in terms of providing an accurate visual representation.

Although much welcomed, in terms of slowing deterioration, this digital act of copying also appears to contrast sharply with the way the act of copying is understood in the Chinese context in achieving a good level of "restoration". In particular:

"But copying is also learning. During the process of copying, one has to give inputs of research, grasp the laws and rhythms of the painting in question and perfect the technique. Only then can the reproduction capture the spirit of the original. Therefore the copiers should have a rich knowledge of the tradition as well as profound expertise and skill; otherwise the reproduction will not transpose both the visual and spiritual excellence of the originals." [see reference article here]

And with limited access, it remains unclear what ramifications that will have on such an approach to restoration work.

Another recent news item also confirms this trend towards restricted access (even for personnel working to conserve the site) as a means to slow deterioration of the Dunhuang site, especially the Mogao grottos or caves. Working together with the Getty Conservation Institute, the University of California has developed very tiny and inexpensive sensor chips - otherwise known as Smart Dust Motes - that can be scattered within the grottos. Using wireless technology, data from all the sensors are then be collected, thus providing a viable means of remote-sensing the real-time environment conditions of the entire space without having to step foot in it.

from Wired News
Bunker Holds a Mountain of Movies
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Using a de-commissioned government underground facility as a converted storage facility for audio and visual materials in the collection of the US Library of Congress sounds like a really useful idea. Besides ensuring that highly flammable cellulose nitrate film materials are properly contained behind strong rooms, being underground will also make it easier to cool internal temperatures for the long-term storage and preservation - as is done at Corbis' Film Preservation Facility (also see previous Wired News article).

from The New York Times
Preserve Performance Art? Can You Preserve the Wind?
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Towards the end of the article, the writer attempts - in a throw-away manner - to link "conservatism" to efforts in the conservation of contemporary art - such as performance, conceptual, and ephemeral art - which are created specifically to negate the notion of direct material significance and preservation (in a museum). Even if we allow for that comment - which must be said to be uncritical and unsubstantiated - it should still give us, who are in the field of art and heritage conservation, pause for thought. Perhaps, such throw-away remarks arise because we have missed opportunities in articulating what is it that drives our work - not some broad empty label of "conservatism" or even "preservation", but a more nuanced and considered understanding of materials, significance and interventions. There is surely a need to enter into an introspection of what is it that we assume that we do.

from The San Francisco Examiner
Public art debate
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A classic case of how a good idea can easily spiral down the path of apathy - becoming more of a burden than anything else - when there is a lack of community support. When publicly sited art is mandated rather than springing forth from a deep-seated desire of the larger community, then its negligence is all the more likely. Indeed, preservation work must begin with the community, rather than with materials.

from Slate
Reversing Vandalism
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A remarkable effort in transforming vandalised books that were damaged beyond reasonable repair into captivating works of art. It is one example of how meaning and significance can transcend material form and evolve with subsequent interventions.

Keynote address by Dr Pisit Charoenwongsa, Director, SEAMEO SPAFA
Conservation and its Aftermath - The Wise Use of Heritage Resources
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link to SEAMEO-SPAFA web-site

As the flow of financial and economic resources into heritage conservation efforts become restricted or erratic, the need to examine the issue of long-term sustainbility in the field of heritage conservation becomes all the more pressing. One viable solution, proposed by Dr Pisit, is to build community relevance and engagement:

"Community-based management, which involves a wide range of stakeholders, is perhaps the only key to achieve success in the hardly-popular effort of "conservation," which to most people denotes unfortunately something that is static or resistant to change. It is imperative to expand the stage of conservation that now seemed to have assumed a specific timeframe of commencement-action-cessation. To do this, the practice of conservation must be sustained beyond the 'project' to become entrenched as a philosophy, a cultural habit and a way of life."

This shift in outlook and mindset is also necessary in moderating the sometime over-zealous tendency of heritage conservation work to over-emphasise issues of "ethics" and "what-should-be-done" -- resulting in the mistaken view of such efforts as being moralising and somewhat parochial. Seeking an in-depth understanding of the wider societal context and community needs will surely translate heritage conservation efforts into real benefits for all concern.

from The New York Times
Titanic Scientist Begins Effort to Save 'Museum of the Deep'
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An incredible effort to try and preserve the actively disintegrating segments of shipwrecks, and of the Titanic in particular.

"The world's oceans are the museums of the deep," said the team's leader, Dr. Robert D. Ballard. "It is in the interest of all peoples to protect and conserve both wrecks of recent history as well as submerged sites of antiquity."

However, it presuppose that actual preservation of the physical material and evidence of the shipwreck would serve as the best means of preservation. Putting aside the question of cost-effectiveness, would having the entire shipwreck in a well-preserved state be the most appropriate way of "keeping" the memory of its history? We may have a visual and physical imprint of the actual artefact, but without active and sustained scholarship, that imprint may well end up serving as mere eye-candy - and a very expensive one at that.

from Daily Record (UK)
Anger at Threat to Heritage
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A cursory glance at the news item may evoke a sense of alarm at the mention of about 800 sites that will be accorded less protection under the law in Scotland. However, placing this "loss" in the context of the other 7,000 (or more) sites that will still be protected, the original sense of alarm does seem to be misplaced. It is, perhaps, a clear example of how differing priorities on the use of natural and cultural resources can often run counter to each other.

from The New Straits Times
Preserving the family home
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When the lure of money (whether from government subsidies or from tourist dollars) becomes one of the primary motive for heritage preservation, it could be a harbinger for a loss in the sustainability of conservation and preservation efforts in the long run.

from The Art Newspaper.com
Getty Trust and World Monuments Fund team up for Iraq conservation
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This is the latest in a string of laudable international efforts to help address and restore the rich cultural heritage legacy in Iraq - which at times has been seen as rightfully belonging to the entire human race. However, it also brings to mind the rather troublesome implication that, unless a country is dramatically propelled into the international news arena (whether due to war or other man-made or natural disasters), such commendable efforts can often languish at the sidelines for want of financial resources and expertise.

from International Herald Tribune
Italy begins assessing cultural value of state property
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When cultural heritage and economic exigencies collide, it is not often that a "win-win" scenario can be achieved. Sometimes, something will have to give - and we will be the poorer for it, either way.

from Xinhua Online
2,000-year-old shadow play still popular
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A clear illustration that the preservation of intangible heritage must also entail the need for re-enactment and adaptation - as an instance of living heritage. This would surely give rise to interesting debates on what constitutes the original, authentic or accurate version to be preserved.

from Metropolis
How Buildings Breathe
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Some interesting development in how buildings can be ventilated by harnessing the natural phenomena of air circulation and behaviour. An understanding of such a technology would be of tremendous benefit to museums, especially when a major expense of most museums is the utilities bill associated with the 24-hour control of the display and storage environments. Two particular ideas stand out - the "floor-up" method of cooling the air (as opposed to the conventional "ceiling-down" cooling); and the "enthalpy wheel" to pre-condition humid air, hence reducing actual cooling load (translating to a smaller air-conditioning system) and energy consumption.

from The Straits Times
Parts of Changi Prison to be preserved
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go to press release

This partial reversal of an earlier decision to demolish the entire old Changi Prison complex is surely a piece of encouraging news. However, it does raise the question of how much can be construed (or misconstrued) from a fragment of the whole? Perhaps, only time will tell.

from The New York Times
At a Mountain Monastery, Old Texts Gain Digital Life
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Another view of the work in preserving history - which can paradoxically be both intriguing yet mundane at the same time.

from The Observer
Evolution of radar points to HMS Beagle's resting place
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and
from The Herald
Military hardware saves Old Masters
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Two reports on the use of technology to aid preservation efforts. The first highlighted the attempt to locate the sunken HMS Beagle in Essex, England, using ground-penetrating radar to find plausible sites where the historic ship might be buried. The second report looked at the use of an advanced infra-red digital imaging camera to "look" under surface paint layers of artworks.

from The Art Newspaper
Looters hot on the heels of the bomb disposal experts
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and
Human Rights Act invoked to demolish listed building in the UK
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and
from The Christian Science Monitor
'Pit bull' dogs Iraq Museum looters
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and
from The Wall Street Journal
Saving Iraq's Treasures
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The continuing destruction and pillage of heritage materials happen not because of a lack of national and international laws to limit such damage. Instead, it points to a failure in enforcement, education and fostering a sense of community ownership.

from The New York Times
Vietnam Slowly Restores Imperial City With a Grim Past
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This site restoration project is another real-life example of how conservation ideals can conflict with actual socio-political and economic reality. It also points to a fundamental need to enter into a dialogue to address questions such as "for whom?" and to what ends.

from New Scientist
Kennewick man ruling - politics or science?
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This latest news on the use of ancient remains for scientific research is by no means the last say in this difficult issue. From the UK context, there is the recently published report by the Working Group on Human Remains and reactions to that report.

from Nature
Saving Venice
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The city of Venice faces the very real danger of sinking over the years. To counter that, scientists have proposed pumping carbon dioxide or water directly under the city itself.

from The Guardian
Trust seeks heritage high ground
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The National Trust of UK is reported to have grown to become the largest organisation in Europe. This also points to a large sector of British society who is concerned with preservation and heritage in the country. An earlier report of a BBC documentary on the National Trust also highlighted how the organisation has attempted to adapt and remain relevant to modern day society.

from The Globe & Mail (Canada)
Chinese Buy Back Treasures Looted In 1800s
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It is often forgotten that for cultural artefacts to be displayed or stored in a museum, it involves a willful act of transfer - especially when that museum is located outside of the natural geographical boundaries of that culture from which the objects come from. Often, such a transfer might involve agreement for all parties involved or it might resort to trickery, plunder or other less-than-honest methods. The recorded looting of the Summer Palace in Beijing belongs to the latter. The return of these looted materials become an issue of patriotic pride. And in the case of the Summer Place, it is has also become a matter of entrepreneurial acumen.