Submitted by Lucy Wrapson on
In response to the University of Southampton's decision to close the Textile Conservation Centre, its staff and supporting Trust, the TCC Foundation commissioned leading independent think tank Demos to examine the role of conservation and conservation education in the wider social and political context and in the context of a changing world.
Submitted by Lucy Wrapson on
The Juanqinzhai, an 18th-century studio in the Forbidden City's Qianlong Garden, has been opened for its first ever public viewing after a comprehensive restoration. The intensive five-year project, led by the Palace Museum in Beijing and working in partnership with the World Monuments Fund, was part of a major 12-year, multimillion-dollar project to restore the entire Qianlong Garden complex.
Submitted by Lucy Wrapson on
The ancient mud-brick built Yemeni city of Shibam, a UNESCO world heritage site, has largely survived recent devastating floods in the country. It has been reported that the flood waters were close to breaching the levee surrounding the town, which would have had disastrous consequences for its high-rise mud-brick buildings. Floods in Yemen followed two days of fierce storms in Hadhramawt and Mahra provinces which took more than 100 lives and have left many thousands displaced.
Submitted by Lucy Wrapson on
Many people are feared dead following a tropical storm in the Hadhramawt province of Yemen. The severe storm has also had a serious impact upon the region's historical buildings. The extent of the damage to the UNESCO site of Shibam is not yet clear as rescue operations are still underway. However, reports suggest that floodwaters are threatening the iconic mud brick buildings of the world heritage site, which is currently cut off by flooding.
Submitted by Lucy Wrapson on
The Deir al-Sultan monastery on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem has been declared a danger to human life by engineer Yigal Bergman following a recent investigation. Atop one of Christianity's holiest locations, traditionally considered the site of Golgotha and of Christ's tomb, the monastery is at risk of collapse, endangering its residents, the church and visitors. The emergency situation has been worsened through dispute between a number of churches who have claims to the site.
Submitted by Lucy Wrapson on
A recent study has revealed that Michelangelo's iconic statue of David may be at risk from the vibrations of traffic and visitors' footsteps at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. Detailed examination has shown that cracks filled during a recent conservation campaign four years ago have reopened. Professor Antonio Borri, from the University of Perugia, part of the team monitoring the sculpture, stated that David is also vulnerable because of his large scale and the low quality of the marble used.
Submitted by IIC Webmaster on
A full transcript of the round table discussion Climate change and museum collections is now available for download here (PDF; 2.5MB).
Submitted by IIC Webmaster on
The 2008 IIC Congress scored a notable success on its return to London after 41 years. The theme Conservation and Access attracted over 460 delegates to the event, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, opposite Westminster Abbey. IIC Secretary-General, David Leigh, said This has undoubtedly been a pivotal event.
Submitted by IIC Webmaster on
The Textile Conservation Centre announced at the IIC London Congress that discussions have been taking place with the University of Oxford about the possibility of transfer of elements of the TCC's work to Oxford in late 2009. The world-renowned teaching and research Centre is due to close within the University of Southampton then, a decision announced some time ago. See the TCC website
Submitted by davidleigh on
On the final day of its London Congress, IIC named the Lunder Conservation Center as the winner of the prestigious Keck Award for 2008. The Center, jointly administered by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington is the first art conservation facility in the USA that allows visitors to the museums permanent, behind-the-scenes views of crucial preservation work.
