Regional Live Hub: South America and the Caribbean

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Pillars of sustainability image

Karla Álvarez and Mariana Onofri

The last Regional Live Hub of the IIC Wellington Congress was led by the co-chairs Juan Carlos Rodríguez, Director of the Research Center for Heritage Conservation at UTEC (University of Engineering and Technology), María Inés Valverde, archaeologist and associate researcher at UTEC, both from Peru, and Joelle Salkey, Conservator of the National Gallery of Jamaica. And the online DEVs Mariana Onofri, art conservator currently enrolled in a master's degree in arts related to conservation research at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil; and Karla Álvarez, recently graduated from the degree in conservation of cultural objects with a specialty in photo restoration from the National School of Conservation in Mexico ENCRyM.

Greener Discipline and Community Involvement…

Do you also feel interested in having a greener conservation? You are not the only one, this was a recurring theme in the first part of the presentations of the Regional Live Hub of South America and the Caribbean. Here we perceived great interest in making the discipline greener, whether it be from including in academic programs ways of conserving that contemplate new materials and systems of thought, such as analyzing the pillars of sustainability, in order to include these factors in daily operation within museum spaces.

Part One Presentations: “Preliminary research into curricula in sustainability for cultural heritage conservation” by Justine Wuebold, “A methodology for modelling conservation, access and sustainability” by David Saunders, “Challenging the quest for collection well-being: opportunities and legitimacies in participatory processes that include multiple voices” by Isabel García Gómez, “A long view of change in caring for historic house interiors - from housekeeping to preventive conservation, collections management and beyond” by Helen Lloyd and Katy Lithgow, “Change comes from within, a case study: shared efforts in developing conservation in Indonesia” by Saiful Bakhri.

Screenshot of the presentation “Preliminary research into curricula in sustainability for cultural heritage conservation” Justine Wuebold
Screenshot of the presentation “Preliminary research into curricula in sustainability for cultural heritage conservation” Justine Wuebold
Screenshot of the presentation “A methodology for modelling conservation, access and sustainability” by David Saunders
Screenshot of the presentation “A methodology for modelling conservation, access and sustainability” by David Saunders

Part One Presentations were: “Preliminary research into curricula in sustainability for cultural heritage conservation” by Justine Wuebold, “A methodology for modelling conservation, access and sustainability” by David Saunders, “Challenging the quest for collection well-being: opportunities and legitimacies in participatory processes that include multiple voices” by Isabel García Gómez, “A long view of change in caring for historic house interiors - from housekeeping to preventive conservation, collections management and beyond” by Helen Lloyd and Katy Lithgow, “Change comes from within, a case study: shared efforts in developing conservation in Indonesia” by Saiful Bakhri.

As well as sustainability, another stellar theme in this live hub was the community participation in conservation projects, the presentations and subsequent discussion with Isabel García, Helen Lloyd, Katy Lithgow, and Saiful Bakhri opened the panorama by listening to these authors who, although they are in different parts of the world, follow diverse lines of research with the same objective: to increasingly involve users and people of interest to the discipline. Don't miss this discussion, because plot twist… Going back to traditional conservation methods by involving users, can also bring sustainability elements!

Screenshot of the presentation “Challenging the quest for collection well-being: opportunities and legitimacies in participatory processes that include multiple voices” by Isabel García Gómez.
Screenshot of the presentation “Challenging the quest for collection well-being: opportunities and legitimacies in participatory processes that include multiple voices” by Isabel García Gómez.

 

Poster sessions


It is indeed interesting to note that in the second part of this session, the poster’s themes are also related to the first presentations. In the search for a greener discipline with Bianca Gonçalves, and with community participation and interdisciplinary, we have the creation of collaborative networks by Nicola Walker, the challenges of interdisciplinary dialogue by Ann-Cathrin Rothlind, also related to the analysis of new and traditional approaches in the management of our discipline by Susan Bradshaw and Julie Hutchison. But that's not all, you can't miss Bill Wei's innovative proposal to design mechanisms that prevent objects from moving. Amazing, right?
Part Two Presentations were: “Surviving and thriving: collaborative networks as a response to change” by Nicola Walker, “Turning to Green Conservation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage” by Bianca Gonçalves, “The mechanism for the wandering of objects and measures to prevent object movement” by Bill Wei, “Lost In Transmission? – The Interdisciplinary Dialogue Challenge to Managing Change and Significance.” by Ann-Cathrin Rothlind, “Traditional vs. New approaches to leading and managing conservation.” by Susan Bradshaw and Julie Hutchison.

Screenshot of the presentation “Traditional vs. New approaches to leading and managing conservation.
Screenshot of the presentation “Traditional vs. New approaches to leading and managing conservation.” by Susan Bradshaw and Julie Hutchison.
Screenshot of the presentation “The mechanism for the wandering of objects and measures to prevent object movement
Screenshot of the presentation “The mechanism for the wandering of objects and measures to prevent object movement” by Bill Wei.

Keck Awards: Game Jam and Chivas and Chaityas of the Kathmandu Valley

At the end of the poster discussion, we had the opportunity to chat with two Keck Award nominees, whose projects are "Game Jam for Conservation: Learning to Conserve Cultural Heritage Through Play" and "Restoring Neglected Monuments: Saving the Chaityas and Chivas of Nepal". After briefly talking about their projects, the questions did not stop: are you interested in knowing how to access the games to preserve cultural heritage? Or to know how the inhabitants of the community in Nepal are involved in the decision making to restore the monuments? You can witness this great discussion in the recording of the session, you can't miss it!

As latinas conservators, we feel the Live Hub of South America and the Caribbean was the best ending to the IIC Wellington Congress, considering that the next Congress will be in Lima, Peru. We are delighted to meet everyone there.

AUTHOR BYLINES

Karla Álvarez is a graduate of the degree in conservation of cultural objects with a specialty in photo restoration from the National School of Conservation in Mexico (ENCRyM).

Mariana Onofri is an art conservator currently enrolled in a master's degree in arts related to conservation research at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil.