Chairs: Keats Webb, Adam Neese

Advancing digital imaging and computing capabilities mean that a range of imaging tools, techniques, and technologies are available to conservators and the conservation process. These include techniques that can record variations in scale (micro to macro), two- and three-dimensions, and radiation interactions beyond human vision (X-ray, UV, and IR). These techniques offer a variety of new and different ways to document and look at objects that may offer encounters with the surprising and unexpected. Imaging can allow us to see unanticipated materials and details on an object; to gain insight that may change the treatment approach; to uncover new aspects of the creative process or method of manufacture; and to discover a new approach for treatment, exhibition, or collection management.

The AIC Imaging Working Group is interested in facilitating a session following the conference theme “Expected the Unexpected” to explore how imaging fosters encounters with the surprising and unexpected, what imaging has brought to your practice that you have embraced, and even perhaps why you have changed an approach due to imaging influencing your decisions.

Chair: Alessandra Guarascio

Preserving artworks made with human-derived materials, such as hair, blood, flesh, and bone, is not a straightforward process and requires extensive investigation to tailor new approaches to their care. In this session, case studies will be presented for the conservation of such unconventional materials to gather and analyse their complexity and construct a valuable ethical discourse around this topic. Through these presentations it is hoped that a series of questions will be addressed. Such as, what does it mean to take care of artworks made of corporal materials? Likewise, why would a museum decide to collect, care for, and preserve such complex artworks that challenge conventional approaches to conservation? To what extent are corporeal materials different from traditional art mediums?

While the main focus will be on the use of corporal materials in contemporary art (for examples, Marc Quinn’s 1991 Self, made out of the artist's own blood, or Sun Yuan and Peng Yu’s Civilization Pillar, 2001, in which liposuctioned material was gathered into a three-meter-long column, as two examples), we welcome discussions of artworks across time and space to offer perspectives on this topic for better presentation and future preservation of these materials.

Chair: Marie-Lou Beauchamp

When the worst happens: a conservator irremediably damages an object under their care. The talks are based on case studies from conservators on conservation treatments which result in catastrophic damage. This session will  create a safe space for professional conservators to share lived experiences of conservation treatments with poor outcomes that are beyond repair. These conversations don’t happen often enough in our field. It would be beneficial and useful to include a panel discussion after a series of talks.

As a conservator, our treatment objectives vary depending on the context, history, and materiality of the object we are asked to conserve. Our interventions range from basic stabilization to improvement of visual appearance and everything in between. But our goal is never to damage or even worse, destroy the object under our care. But it can happen and will likely happen to most if not all conservators during their career.

In the field of medicine, doctors often do systematic debriefing with colleagues after something went wrong to avoid the repetition of an unfortunate outcome. This not only prevents other patients from being harmed, but often leads to research and new advancements in the field.

This is not something we do enough in conservation. When we do share our mishaps, they tend to be the ones which in the end we are able to remediate, and the treatment is presented as a self-contained learning experience. But instances where the object is irreparably damaged or even destroyed are rarely discussed as we are less inclined to share those unfortunate outcomes with our colleagues. This session is articulated around the lived experiences of trained and well-informed conservators who none the less significantly damaged objects during interventive conservation and how those treatments can inform our future practice.

Chairs: Meredith Noyes, Emma Richardson

 
3D digital technologies, including 3D scanning, computer aided design (CAD), 3D printing, and CNC milling, are changing the landscape of manufacturing at large and are impacting the ways in which cultural heritage institutions work. These tools are not only used by artists to create works found within collections, but they are also being used in the fabrication process across a myriad of preservation and display activities, including conservation, mount making, and specialized supports for storage and transit of objects. While these digital technologies promise efficiency and lend themselves to new and innovative ways of working, not every situation will benefit from a digital approach.

This session seeks to address where 3D digital technologies find their strengths in cultural heritage, as well as where they have been inefficient relative to traditional approaches (e.g. unsuccessful outcomes, too time consuming, or expensive). We seek papers that explore the good, the bad, and the ugly – where these technologies have uniquely and efficiently solved problems, as well as where they have overpromised and underdelivered – across conservation, preservation, and display activities. We also welcome papers that explore unanticipated challenges in conserving art created through digital technologies.

Chairs/Organizers: Cecilia Winter, Ellen Pearlstein, Thiago Sevilhano Puglieri, Marie Desrochers

In recent decades, museums have transformed significantly by embracing intangible aspects and enhancing community involvement. This shift is a departure from traditional practices that solely focused on tangible artifacts, favoring a more comprehensive approach to cultural heritage. Within curatorial and educational departments, there's a growing emphasis on community engagement to challenge prevailing narratives, amplify marginalized voices, and build collaborative partnerships with historically misrepresented or excluded communities.

However, this dialogue has been less extensive in Conservation, Collection Care, and Conservation Science. The preservation of tangible artifacts still heavily relies on Western frameworks, perpetuating colonial legacies and reinforcing power imbalances. Urgent action is needed to develop inclusive strategies that respect diverse knowledge systems, involve local communities, and prioritize community agency and self-determination of the communities from which the artifacts originate.

Adopting non-traditional knowledge sharing and conservation training methods can address these gaps in cultural heritage preservation. Traditional conservation knowledge often restricts access to those with formal training, perpetuating exclusivity. Alternative approaches like training-the-trainer models, microcredentials, field services, and professional development opportunities empower communities and collection stewards to sustainably care for their heritage in culturally appropriate ways. Community-focused conservation can bolster cultural and environmental resilience in a changing global climate.

This panel seeks to explore how Conservation, Collection Care, and Conservation Science can engage respectfully with communities. It aims to evaluate conservation practices, collection care procedures, and analytical techniques considering intangible values and communicate technical findings inclusively. Additionally, innovative models of knowledge sharing and conservation training will be discussed, emphasizing community empowerment in preserving their cultural heritage.

This joint session combines the previous sessions "Embracing Tangible Dimensions" and "Sharing Knowledge and Empowering Communities."