The international conference organized by the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Stone (ICOMOS-ISCS) and the French section of the International Institute of Conservation (SFIIC), in the frame of SFIIC 14th study days, with the collaboration of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage (INP) and the Research Laboratory for Historical Monuments (LRMH), will take place in Paris (Institut national du patrimoine) on 22nd –24th June 2011. The dead line for proposing a paper or a poster has now passed. If you wish to attend it, you’ll find on the SFIIC site (www.sfiic.fr) a registration form on line or to print, as well as all information about the conference: program, location, registration, etc.
The provisional program is now availaible - please click here to see it
You also can display the registration form and registered you on line
You can benefit of a special offer of 20% discount on registration fees
if you register before the 15th February
Stone has a specific role in parks, gardens and cemeteries. The material may appear as steles, sculptures or small buildings with decorative, commemorative or didactical purpose, or may simply indicate a burying place. In all cases, these artefacts have a strong heritage identity, and provide many challenges to institutions or individuals responsible for their care. Conservation issues include: ensuring that individual monuments are preserved with reference to the whole collection of artefacts; preserving the landscape, often rich in vegetation, without accelerating the degradation of artefacts; and complying with the requirements of burial and commemorative services without endangering the long-term conservation of the artefacts. In addition, some artefacts have been subject to repeated vandalism, and in the case of sculptures which have been regularly been treated over the years, there is concern regarding re-treating them. Winter shelters are often installed on certain sculptures, but there is still no consensus on the best practice with that respect. ICOMOS-ISCS and SFIIC are pleased to announce this conference concerning the stone heritage of Parks, Gardens and Cemeteries. The aim of the conference is to enable a better understanding of the conservation issues and encourage good site management practice.
Relevant Artefacts
Sculptures and steles made of marble or stone, small constructions located outdoor in an environment of park, garden or cemetery, i.e. in open air, with an association of trees, grass, pedestrian pathways, potentially close or directly in contact with water from fountains or artificial pools.
Artefacts not considered in this conference
Big buildings, architectural decoration, metal, wood or polymer based sculptures, artifacts conserved in other contexts than Parks, Garden or Cemeteries, isolated heritage ( milestones, street crosses…)
Themes
The conference will specifically focus on material and preventive conservation of works of art, and also on site management techniques required to preserve these artefacts. A selection of papers on diagnostic techniques will be accepted, although this is not the main theme of the conference.
Curative conservation
All aspects of conservation, more particularly cleaning periodicity, elimination or not of microbiological growth, matrix-related and structural consolidation, reassembling, glues, ironing and repair mortars.
Preventive conservation
In situ conservation of strongly decayed decorative items, winter shelters, water-repellents, limewashes, antigraffitis.
Site management
Criteria for relocating items from one place to another, compatibility between deontological principles and conservation practice. Materials employed in copies designed to replace original artefacts; Common practice regarding the selection of stones in cemeteries: local versus imported; Management of unattended grave stones and cemeteries, Change of function of fountains, compatibility between tree varieties and items conservation.
The languages used during the colloquium will be French and English with simultaneous translation.
As in the past, the papers will be published and distributed to all participants at the opening of the colloquium.
A commercial exhibition (products and material for conservation, publications, etc.) will take place during the conference.
For any questions or for further information please consult the site of the SFIIC: www.sfiic.fr, which will be kept up to date daily.
You may sign up for a publicity mailing which will keep you up to date: program; inscriptions, etc.
A commercial exhibition will take place within the conference (presentation of conservation material and products, etc.). See information below.
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