Symposium. Conservation: principles, dilemmas and uncomfortable truths

The Royal Academy of Arts is organizing a two-day symposium following the publication in Summer 2009 of the book

Conservation Principles, Dilemmas and Uncomfortable Truths, edited by Alison Richmond and Dr. Alison Bracker.

The symposium seeks to re-examine conservation principles, theories, and taboos regarding art, artefacts, buildings, monuments and sites, human remains, natural history, the arts and antiquities markets, and cultural heritage institutions within the context of the changing global economic and environmental climate of the early 21st century. The purpose of the symposium is to bring up-to-date and diverse thinking to bear on such potential topics as:

• The artist's voice reconsidered
• Principles and the management of resources within a changing climate
• Conservation ethics, the art market, and/or the antiquities trade
• Conservation, sustainability, and climate change
• The tangible and the intangible
• Originating communities' rights and involvement reconsidered
• Conservation and open knowledge systems
• How can conservation negotiate spiritual value and significance?
• Conservation values and society

We invite abstracts for papers that cover these and other relevant themes from a variety of disciplines, periods, and approaches, as well as specific case studies. The dissemination of selected symposium contents is likely to be web-based. Please send abstracts of no more than 500 words by 31 March 2009 to:

Alison Richmond a.richmond at vam__ac__uk

Dr. Alison Bracker alison.bracker at royalacademy__org__uk

Alison Richmond ACR FIIC Deputy Head RCA/V&A Conservation Conservation Department Victoria and Albert Museum London SW7 2RL +44 20 7942 2093 Fax: +44 20 7942 2092 Mobile: +44 7949 787 701