News from
the Institute for Conservation and Restoration
15. September 2023
World
Heritage in Focus
UNESCO Chair on Conservation and Preservation of Tangible Cultural Heritage guest at the 18th
Austrian World Heritage Conference
Managing and conserving our UNESCO World Heritage in a sustainable way - this complex
topic is the focus of the 18th Austrian World Heritage Conference, which will take place this year from 12-13 October in Hallstatt.
The Institute of Conservation, to which the UNESCO Chair has been affiliated since 2019, will participate again as in previous
years in order to bring the perspective of conservation into the discussion and to further intensify the exchange with representatives
and managers of the Austrian World Heritage Sites.
18th Austrian World Heritage Sites Conference
12-13 October 2023,
Hallstatt
13 years of conservation commitment in Nepal
...
and it goes on!
The Institute of Conservation looks back on a busy August. For one month, a 17-member team was once again
active in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Patan Durbar Square and Royal Palace. Under the direction of Prof. Krist and teachers
from the Institute, students of conservation and the CHCM Joint Masters worked together with Nepalese students and local museum
staff on terracotta reliefs of the Narashima Temple, the fire-gilded metal decorative elements of the Degutaleju Temple and
a wall painting in Bhaktapur. At the same time, the collection care at the Patan Museum was successfully completed. After
more than 13 years of engagement in Nepal, it is far from over and the Institute is working with its long-time partner, the
Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, to continue the campaigns in 2024!
Cooperative Conservation in Sutivan:
University Partnerships in Stone Preservation
In a collaborative effort, stone conservators, including
both students and staff from the University of Applied Arts Vienna and the University of Split, came together for the third
time during the first half of September. Their mission: to conserve and restore the historic stone altars within the Church
of the Assumption of Mary in Sutivan, Croatia, with a primary focus on cleaning the heavily discoloured/soiled stone surfaces.
This endeavor provided students with invaluable hands-on experience, enabling them to enhance their skills and knowledge
in stone conservation. Moreover, the exchange of expertise and cultural experiences among participants was a positive outcome
of this joint venture.
This successful collaboration opens the door to future partnerships, further expanding our global
commitment to preserving our cultural heritage.
