About IIC

IIC and its purpose

Throughout the world, people are increasingly aware of their heritage as a mark of cultural identity as well as an expression of society and something which brings pleasure and enriches lives. They are concerned to preserve that heritage, and they recognise that conservation professionals are essential to that task. Since 1950, the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works has promoted the knowledge, methods and working standards needed to protect and preserve historic and artistic works throughout the world.

IIC members belong to an international community of professionals who aim to provide the highest possible level of care for the world's cultural heritage. They know that they must be aware of the latest thinking and research, and keep in touch with developments and with colleagues worldwide. Membership of IIC is essential for all practising and aspiring professionals in this field.

Our mission statement

IIC is an independent international organisation supported by individual and institutional members. It serves as a forum for communication among professionals with responsibility for the preservation of cultural heritage. It advances knowledge, practice and standards for the conservation of historic and artistic works through its publications and conferences. It promotes professional excellence and public awareness through its awards and scholarships.

Who should join IIC?

IIC membership is open to everyone with an interest in conserving the world's cultural heritage: to conservators and restorers, to conservation scientists, architects, educators and students, and to collection managers, curators, art historians and other cultural heritage professionals.

What are the benefits?

Membership enables you to keep abreast of technical advances and current thinking and to remain in contact with colleagues worldwide through IIC's publications:

  • Studies in Conservation (four times a year), the leading international journal in the field
  • Reviews in Conservation (annually), the only international journal to synthesise the latest thinking and practice in conservation
  • News in Conservation (six times a year)

Members also have access to this website with its newsblog and its rich sources of information, the biennial conferences, concessionary rates for Members, and the national and regional groups. The Members' area of this website provides an index of all IIC members, and free download of articles from Studies in Conservation and Reviews in Conservation as well as downloadable PDFs of News in Conservation and back numbers of some of the Congress preprints.

There are four categories of membership: Student, Individual and Institutional members, as well as Fellows who have been elected by the existing body of IIC Fellows.

Every two years, IIC mounts a major international conference on a topic of current interest. These meetings are designed to bring together like-minded specialists, to summarise and debate the latest progress and practice, and to present recent advances, research and new thinking. The peer-reviewed and edited Congress papers are an essential part of the permanent conservation literature. Recent venues have included Ottawa (Preventive Conservation), Copenhagen (Archaeological Conservation), Dublin (Painting Techniques), Melbourne (Tradition and Innovation), Baltimore (Works of Art on Paper) and Bilbao (Modern Art, New Museums). This year's conference is in London in 2008.

IIC co-operates closely with other organisations, notably ICOM-CC (International Council of Museums - Committee for Conservation) and ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property).