Session 3 - Networks and Collaboration

By Miriam-Helene Rudd, Katherine Moya Farías and Ana Paula Hirata Tanaka

The second day started out strong with a morning session about various approaches to networking and building global collaborations. We learned about what can be achieved through a combination of virtual, hybrid, and in-person efforts to develop community and share knowledge.

We began with Natalia Ulloa presenting Fotográfica en Red, a collaborative group dedicated to preserving photography in its many formats, made up of members from across Latin America. It was a pleasant surprise to recognize familiar faces from Chile and Argentina, colleagues we've encountered in both academic and professional contexts.

Fotográfica en Red outlined their key areas of work, all carried out voluntarily by its members. Among the highlights was the need to create a unified vocabulary of materials across Latin America and compile lists of conservation material suppliers. Given the group's international nature, virtual work plays a big role, and they emphasized their strong presence on social media as one of their main tasks.

During the Q&A session, the audience noted the significant female presence in the organization, a common theme in many conservation spaces. In response, Natalia Ulloa mentioned the possibility of adopting a feminist approach within the group, although it hadn't been something consciously developed by the organization so far.

In the second talk, presented virtually, Haida Liang shared case studies of technical analysis carried out across a variety of institutions throughout the UK and the USA, exemplifying and emphasizing the positive, sustainable and cultural richness of working together. This is particularly true within cultural heritage research, with its inter- and trans-disciplinary approach by default. We could see the versatile model they are developing by having a mobile lab working alongside museum facilities. Despite some logistics, customs and equipment technical issues, it looks like a promising working format. One of their aims is to study global connections through art.

Yerko Quitral spoke next about the evolution and impact of the International Paper Conservation Seminars in Latin America in his lively and passionate talk. Recognizing the inconsistency of conservation training across Latin America and concerned about the transmission of knowledge, technical and otherwise, in 2016 the seminars began. Raissa Palacios chimed in from the online congress chat with thanks for the work of Quitral and the network: “agradecimiento… por crear esta red de colaboración que permite el compartir conocimientos entre América Latina y el mundo. Mejorando la profesión y haciéndola crecer de manera que se va adaptando a los nuevos tiempos.” 

Quitral’s presentation links to the APOYOnline presentation in Session 1 and also to the Tuesday Roundtable, “Current state of education and conservation in Latin America”, held just after Session 3. The lively Roundtable discussion occurred both on stage and through online transmission, via the live chat and Q&A, and echoed Quitral’s talk. In its second day, this IIC Congress has reinforced the relevance of creating spaces to convene and to fruitfully discuss the conservation issues we all are facing, aiming to keep strengthening our sector.

Lastly, we heard from Tanushree Gupta about a new joint masters degree in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management offered by the Institute of Conservation, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria and Silpakorn University International College, Silpakorn University, Thailand. With the goal of mutual learning, this advanced art conservation program accepts 15 students between the two universities. All students participate in online theory classes and travel to both Europe and Thailand for intensive hands-on experiences. One of the primary goals is to bolster conservation training in Thailand, where previously the highest degree available was a bachelor’s. Therefore, the admissions requirements for the Silpakorn University are different: a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, versus the master’s degree required for admission to the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Students from Silpakorn University take an additional semester of courses to supplement their prior knowledge. 

Though there are challenges with running a cross-continental academic program, such as the cost of travel and mismatched time zones, the first class successfully graduated after completing master thesis projects of their choosing. It will be exciting to see how the new connections, cultural understanding, and conservation expertise fostered by this program impacts their careers and the broader landscape of cultural heritage. Perhaps this can serve as a framework for other academic collaborations to make conservation training more accessible to underserved geographic regions!

The Q&A’s, shared 50/50 by in-person and virtual presenters, also reinforced that this format brings a welcome flexibility to those professionals unable to travel. 

BLOG AUTHORS AND BYLINES: 
Miriam-Helene Rudd is an objects conservator in New York, NY (USA)

Katherine Moya Farías is a Chilean architect specializing in sites of conscience and an intern at the UBA Ethnographic Museum.

Ana Paula Hirata Tanaka is a book & paper conservator and director at Tanaka Filmes e Livros Ltda in São Paulo, Brazil