Innovating to Conserve: Research and Development in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, 2017

General Introduction

Gaël de Guichen, Advisor to the Director General of iCCROM, Session Chair.

Intervenor : Gaël de Guichen is a chemical engineer at the Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne. After having been scientific director of the Lascaux Cave from 1968 to 1969, he spent the rest of his career at ICCROM, of which he is now advisor to the director general. He initiated a reflection and courses on preventive conservation in 1975. Since 1990, he has integrated the role of the public in this reflection.

Institutional innovations and new interdisciplinary collaborations: the experience of the Heritage Sciences Foundation

Etienne Anheim, Director of Studies, Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS).

Speaker: Étienne Anheim is director of studies at EHESS and director of the journal Annales. History, Social Sciences. His research focuses on the historical sociology of cultural forms and practices in the late Middle Ages (painting, music, literature), with particular attention to the materiality of cultural objects. He also works on historiography and epistemology of history, in particular on the methodology of interdisciplinarity. He is Vice-President of the Heritage Sciences Foundation, from the Laboratoire d'Excellence «Patrimoines matériels» of which he was the scientific director. He is also a member of the scientific council of the Louvre Museum, the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) on Cultural Heritage and the network of Houses of Human Sciences.

Since 2010, the Investments for the Future program has led to a renewal of interdisciplinary and interprofessional forms of collaboration in the field of heritage sciences. The Laboratory of Excellence “Material Heritage” and its related Equipment of Excellence have given rise to intense exchanges and new collaborations between natural sciences, historical sciences and information sciences, but also between the world of university research and that of conservation and restoration institutions linked to the Ministry of Culture. The Heritage Sciences Foundation, born from these meetings in 2013, is now conducting an original experiment in the field of basic and applied research. This intervention will be an opportunity to present the main points, the first results and the prospects.

Sharing research: towards a strengthened interdisciplinary community

Isabelle Pallot-Frossard, Director of the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF). With the participation of Loïc Bertrand, director of the IPANEMA (European Institute for Nondestructive Photonics Analysis of Ancient Materials) unit, CNRS USR 3461.

Intervenor : Since 2015, Isabelle Pallot-Frossard has headed the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France. With Loïc Bertrand, director of IPANEMA (USR 3461), she coordinates French participation in the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS) project. An art historian, she served as inspector of historical monuments for the Picardie, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine regions for over ten years. She was also responsible for studies at the School of Heritage. From 1992 to 2015, she was director of the Historical Monuments Research Laboratory. In 2006, she was appointed Director of the Research and Technology Committee of the Corpus Vitrearum International and today chairs the International Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Stained Glass (ICOMOS-Corpus Vitrearum). She was a member and then Vice-President of ICCROM. A partner in many European research programmes on the conservation of heritage materials, she teaches at the Ecole du Louvre and the Ecole de Chaillot. She is the author of numerous articles on heritage conservation and in particular on the conservation of stained glass.

Loïc Bertrand is a researcher at the SOLEIL synchrotron. His work focuses on the study of the physico-chemical properties of ancient materials by advanced imaging methods. Since 2010, he has managed the IPANEMA platform of the CNRS, the Ministry of Culture and Communication and the University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, which he initiated on the Saclay plateau. He coordinates the French participation in the European infrastructure E-RIHS with Isabelle Pallot-Frossard (C2RMF). It carries the area of major interest «Old materials and heritage» with Étienne Anheim (EHESS) and Margareta Tengberg (MNHN), bringing together all the laboratories of heritage themes of the Île-de-France region.

The analysis of heritage materials by physico-chemical methods dates back to the late 19th century^e century, when Friedrich Rathgen created a laboratory linked to the museums of Berlin. But it is during the last twenty years that the association of the human and social sciences and experimental sciences at the service of the knowledge of cultural goods has fostered the emergence of a new discipline, that of the sciences of conservation. In France, the research centers of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF), Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques (LRMH), laboratories of the CNRS or universities, private structures, develop both analytical and measurement instruments, which are increasingly efficient and less invasive, and research topics on heritage materials, their origin, their dating, their implementation, the alterations they have undergone in their environment. Large instruments put the power of synchrotron radiation or ion beams at the service of the fine characterization of complex materials, most often degraded and transformed by their exposure to the environment over time. The French community of heritage scientists has been able to structure itself through research groups and networks such as ChimARC (Chemistry of archaeomaterials and cultural goods) or CAI-RN (Interdisciplinary archaeometric skills-National network) or through LabEx such as PATRIMA or MATISSE. At European level, the structuring was also gradually done from 1999, thanks to four successive projects funded by the European Commission: LabsTech, EuArtech, Charisma, and Iperion-CH. Today the project E-RIHS (European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science) submitted by Italy and supported by eleven European countries aims to perpetuate these successive initiatives over the long term. This project has just been included in the European roadmap for research infrastructures and the French national roadmap, This is a very strong sign for the scientific heritage communities and a powerful encouragement for the construction of a distributed, pan-European, very high-level infrastructure at the service of knowledge of the European heritage and its conservation.

How to finance cultural research at European level? The special case of research on heritage conservation and restoration

Astrid Brandt-Grau, Head of the Department of Research, Higher Education and Technology, Ministry of Culture and Communication.

Intervenor : Astrid Brandt-Grau is a doctor of archaeology, research engineer at the Ministry of Culture and Communication. From 1986 to 2012, she was successively a researcher at the CNRS, scientific advisor in charge of the coordination of conservation research programs at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Deputy Head of Mission for Research and Technology of the Ministry of Culture, Director of Studies of the Department of Restorers of the National Heritage Institute, national expert seconded to the European Commission in charge of research programmes for heritage preservation. Since 2012, Astrid Brandt-Grau has been Head of the Department of Research, Higher Education and Technology at the Ministry of Culture and Communication.

The European Commission has been funding research projects on cultural heritage since 1986, notably within the Environment programme of the Directorate-General for Research, where the emphasis has long been on the impact of pollution and then climate change, on movable and immovable cultural heritage, but also on preventive conservation and conservation methods¹. The new “Horizon 2020” Research and Innovation Framework Programme (2014-2020) is designed to respond to calls for a wide range of projects on scientific, industrial and societal issues: Marie Sklodowska-Curie research grants, research infrastructures, collaborative projects in the fields of science and engineering, information sciences, humanities and social sciences. The competition for Community funds is however very high and it is better to be well prepared before submitting a project. It is therefore important to better inform and train cultural actors in order to give them the maximum chance of having their project selected.

1 Survey and outcomes of cultural heritage research projects supported in the context of EU environmental research programmes – From 5th to 7th Framework Programme. Studies and reports, ISBN 978-92-79-16354-8, Brussels, Chapuis, M., Brandt-Grau, A. (eds). European Commission EUR 24490 EN, OPOCE, 2011.

Saint-Gobain: innovative solutions for heritage

Marie de Laubier, director of general relations for Saint-Gobain, and Isabelle Wuest, assistant to the director of research for Saint-Gobain.

Speaker: Marie de Laubier joined Saint-Gobain in 2012 as Director of General Relations, in charge of the group’s archives and history, sponsorship and coordination of the 350 celebrations^e Saint-Gobain’s birthday in 2015. She was previously a curator for 15 years at the Bibliothèque nationale de France where she held several positions. From 2007 to 2012, she was head of the renovation project for the Richelieu site, the historic birthplace of the BnF in the heart of Paris. Marie de Laubier is a graduate of the École nationale des chartes and the École nationale supérieure des sciences de l'information et des bibliothèques (ENSSIB).

A graduate of the École supérieure de physique et chimie industriels de la Ville de Paris (ESPCI), Isabelle Wuest joined Saint-Gobain Recherche (Aubervilliers) in 1984. In 1991, she joined the Saint-Gobain Vitrage France Building Marketing team as a product manager. In 1996, she joined the Fibre de Renforcement activity Saint-Gobain Vetrotex to be project manager for Research and Development (R&D) then in 2005 responsible for Best Practices within the technical department. Since 2007, she has been Deputy Director of Research at Compagnie de Saint-Gobain (La Défense), in charge of monitoring industrial partnerships for R&D, reporting on R&D portfolio management, and liaison with Corporate Marketing.

Saint-Gobain, present in 66 countries with more than 170,000 employees, designs, produces and distributes materials and solutions for our homes and everyday life: buildings, transport, infrastructure, as well as in many industrial applications. For the sixth consecutive year, Saint-Gobain was named Top 100 Global Innovator by Clarivate Analytics, responsible for the world ranking of the most innovative companies and institutions in 2016. The ranking is based on the volume of patents, their number accepted compared to the volume filed, their international scope and their notoriety. At the heart of the group’s strategy, R&D represents 3,700 employees, 8 transversal research centres around the world and an investment of 434 million euros in 2015. Many Saint-Gobain subsidiaries, with Saint-Gobain Recherche, are working to find solutions for heritage. In terms of architecture, it is a question of combining respect for the original character of the building, comfort and energy savings. In terms of restoration or creation of works, Saint-Gobain provides solutions combining sustainability, reversibility and respect for the work’s own character. This presentation, after a quick overview of this group that celebrated its 350 years of existence in 2015, will show through three examples, how Saint-Gobain is putting itself at the service of heritage. This is the restoration of the Cyclop from Jean Tinguely to Milly-la-Forêt (Essonne), thesis work on the mechanisms of degradation of old stucco (as part of the MATISSE LabEx), participation in the creation of stained glass windows of a new kind (with digital printing on glass) for the cathedral of Strasbourg.

Introduction - Scientific research on heritage: towards a multi-domain opening

Roland May, Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Heritage Conservation and Restoration (CICRP), Session Chair.

Intervenor Roland May was appointed Museum Advisor in the Rhône-Alpes Regional Cultural Affairs Directorate (1992-2000). In 2000, he joined the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF) to set up the Preventive Conservation Department, then in 2005, the Centre interdisciplinaire de conservation et de restauration in Marseille, where he has been in charge since 2007. Since 2004, he has been involved in European standardization work and has coordinated the “Conservation Poles” and “showcase” standards. He has published various articles on heritage conservation and restoration issues and policies.

Conservation and restoration of invisible organic remains: a field of investigation revealed by biochemical analyses

Nicolas Garnier, director of the Nicolas Garnier Laboratory (LNG) / associate researcher at UMR 8546 AOrOc ENS-Ulm Paris.

Intervenor : After studies in chemistry, ancient history and archaeology at the École normale supérieure de Paris and a thesis in spectrochemistry and analytical chemistry (Paris-VI), Nicolas Garnier has created his own laboratory dedicated to the analysis of heritage materials with a specialization in organic materials. Author of numerous popularization articles but also in international journals, he participated in various ANR programs on handicraft in Pompeii (Artifex), the study of oily residues in ceramics in Etruria (Perhamo), the study of funerary offerings in Gaul and pre-Roman Italy (MAGI), the development of analytical methodologies for heritage materials (ProtéoArt) or the history of vine and wine in France from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages (Viticulture). A large part of the LNG activity is focused on the development of new methods of characterization of old materials, including oils, resinous derivatives, wine and fermented beverages.

Ceramic, stone, glass or metal materials retain chemical information that is often not identified, known and even less exploited because it is invisible. The restoration of objects, in particular the consolidation and protection of the surfaces of the walls, guarantees the aesthetics of the objects but generates a permanent loss of the information contained in the invisible residues (impregnations of the walls, very thin film deposits on the internal walls). As archaeology opens up to a broader search around the function and use of objects whatever their context of discovery, and as analytical chemistry allows for increasingly sensitive and precise identifications of biological materials, it seems essential to review the methods of restoration in order to preserve not only the object itself but also the scientific and technical information it contains for future research. The dialogue between chemists, archaeologists, curators and restorers is the only guarantee for the development of interdisciplinary research and the preservation of invisible molecular indices, the only witnesses of the function and use of objects. The results already obtained open new avenues of research on the exploitation of biological resources, their use in agricultural, craft, domestic, cult, religious or funeral spheres. Eventually, the study of these remains will also feed research in anthropology and ethnography.

Portable instrumentation and restoration at C2RMF: tools at the service of works (X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and digital microscopy)

Dominique Robcis, Head of Mineral-Metal Art Work, Restoration Department, Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF).

Intervenor : Dominique Robcis is Head of Art at the Restoration Department of the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF). He graduated from Paris-IV-Sorbonne University in medieval history. He then continued his studies at the National Heritage Institute (INP) in restoration in the metal arts specialty. He worked as an independent restaurateur for several years with the main museums of France (Louvre Museum, Orsay Museum, Guimet Museum) and historical monuments before joining the C2RMF in 2002. Specialized in technological studies on precious metal objects and surface treatments, he is responsible for 3D digital microscopy and portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for the Restoration Department. He is involved in the teaching of the Louvre School and the National Heritage Institute and regularly contributes to scientific publications at international conferences.

Over the past ten years, portable instrumentation has developed considerably and is now increasingly being used directly in restoration workshops at the bedside. As part of the preliminary studies for the restoration, the Restoration Department of the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France favored the use of two of the most common techniques: X-ray fluorescence and digital microscopy. With the help of some specific examples from the fields of archaeology, ethnography and decorative arts, this paper proposes to take stock of the contributions in terms of the identification of materials and techniques upstream of restorations, but also on the limits of these two techniques of examination and analysis which will become more widespread in the years to come.

Molab Patrimex: a field scientific laboratory at the service of heritage

Vincent Detalle, Head of Laser Development and Optical Spectroscopy, Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF).

Intervenor : Vincent Detalle holds a PhD in Science and Analytical Strategy from Lyon-I-Claude-Bernard University. A specialist in laser analysis techniques, after spending five years as a researcher at the National Research Council of Canada (Montreal), he joined the Department of Culture and Communication in 2004. He directed the Mural and Polychrome Division of the Historical Monuments Research Laboratory (LRMH) for ten years and worked on the development of portable techniques in this field. He joined the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de Franceen 2016 where he is in charge of the development of laser techniques and optical spectroscopies. He is responsible for the French MOLAB (mobile laboratory) within the framework of the European project IPERION CH (Integrated platform for the European research infrastructure on cultural heritage) and the Patrimex team for the mobile laboratory component.

The LRMH and C2RMF were initiated in 2012 by EquipEx (equipment of EXcellence) PATRIMEX with the universities of Cergy-Pontoise and Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the Ipanema laboratory, the Conservation Research Centre. This equipment of excellence is receiving significant financial support from the Ministry of Culture and Communication as well as from future investments. PATRIMEX is a multi-site platform dedicated to the science of material heritage conservation in all its forms. This equipment is closely linked to the PATRIMA LabEx, which consists of a network of humanities and social sciences and engineering sciences, with the triple objective of:

1. understand the physical, historical and cultural characteristics of the materials that make up the cultural heritage;
2. understand the influence of the environment on these objects;
3. know old restoration techniques and develop new ones, with innovative materials and less invasive methods.

Among the elements funded are a mobile laboratory and the development of non-intrusive portable material analysis systems or the coupling of spectroscopic techniques such as LIBS (induced laser sprectroscopy)/LIF/RAMAN. Some of these elements have been integrated into the European mobile laboratory MOLAB, which operates within the framework of the European project IPERION CH and will benefit all French heritage stakeholders.

Lights on the Borbonicus Codex – Insights from hyperspectral imaging

Fabien Pottier, PhD candidate, Conservation Research Centre (CRC)/USR 3224.

Intervenor : Fabien Pottier is a post-doctoral fellow at the Conservation Research Centre (CRC), specializing in analytical sciences applied to cultural heritage materials. The work presented is part of his doctoral thesis entitled “Études des matières picturales du Codex Borbonicus – Contributions des spectroscopies non-invasives à la codicologie”, conducted in collaboration with the Centre for Research on Collections Conservation and the Laboratory of Polymer and Interface Physicochemistry, University of Cergy (LPPI), between 2013 and 2016, and co-funded by the National Assembly and the Heritage Sciences Foundation.

The contents and exceptional state of preservation of the Codex Borbonicus, which has been kept in the library of the National Assembly since 1826, make it a valuable witness to the culture of the Mexico-Tenochtitlan basin at the time of the arrival of the conquistadors. For some historians it is certainly a pre-Columbian manuscript, while for others part of its graphic content denotes a European cultural influence. In order to explore the know-how used in its production and to bring new data to this debate, the nature and method of preparation of the components of the manuscript were studied, within the limits offered by transportable and non-invasive instruments. Among these techniques, hyperspectral imaging allows images to be acquired from a macroscopic document. Each pixel in such an image contains information about the material composition of the studied surface. Specific treatments of these data allow to explore the chemical composition of the entire document, which is very useful for the study of large polychrome surfaces. The application of this imaging method to the study of Codex Borbonicus has thus made it possible to reveal various indices on the production technique of the document.

Tools to alert and monitor mould in heritage spaces

Faisl Bousta, Head of Microbiology, Laboratory for the Research of Historical Monuments (LRMH).

Intervenor : Faisl Bousta holds a PhD in microbiology (1998, Henri-Poincaré Faculty of Science, University of Nancy-I). The subject of his thesis was the development of wood conservation techniques against fungal attacks. Since 1999, he has been a member of the Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques (LRMH) of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, in Champs-sur-Marne. Since 2013, he has been responsible for the LRMH’s microbiology division. He conducts research on micro-organisms that develop on materials constituting cultural heritage. It also provides scientific and technical expertise and advice in the field of conservation in national and international contexts: the Voskopjë site in Albania, the Serra da Capivara National Park in Brazil, the National Archives of the Republic of Seychelles for example. The various research projects in the field of heritage focus on the development of tools for identification, detection and warning of micro-organisms, and in the field of preventive conservation, measures to prevent the uncontrolled development of microorganisms. Studies are also being conducted to look for alternatives to chemical treatments to control microorganisms.

To determine the presence of mould in indoor environments or on objects, the usual methodologies consist of visual examinations, by sampling and seeding on growing media to quantify and identify the cultivable fraction of the collected microorganisms. Currently, there is no real preventive strategy with an alert procedure to stop the contamination before significant damage is found. In this context, the aim of the research, launched since 2005 by the Research Laboratory of Historical Monuments and the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB), is to develop a metrology adapted to the continuous monitoring of works of art vis-à-visto mould by measuring specific chemical indicators of fungal growth. The study of the different growth phases of mould shows a continuous production of metabolites and media degradation products. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as soon as they germinate, that is, at the beginning of mould development, and during all growth phases. In addition, unlike fungal particles collected from air, VOCs diffuse through walls and can be detected in air even in the case of hidden contaminants. In order to use these compounds as tracers, a method, based on the detection of several VOCs from fungal metabolism, was proposed as a fungal contamination index. The presence and/or absence of each of these tracers is taken into account in an index incrementing according to the specificity of each VOC vis-à-vis the species/support couple. Two specific indices have also been developed in order to address the problem of contamination by Fusarium solani in the Lascaux cave (Lascaux index), and on the other hand, contamination by basidiomycetes on wood (Phellinus megaloporus index). The interpretation of the indices indicates the presence or absence of contamination. These indices have been validated in situ on heritage sites.

Gamma rays in the archives

Michel Thibault, Head of the Conservation Department, National Archives.

Intervenor : After a career in the departmental archives (Indre-et-Loire, 1978-1991; director of the Eure-et-Loir archives, 1996-2006) and a passage through the central administration (Direction des Archives de France, 1993-1996), Michel Thibault joined the National Archives in 2007 where he was successively in charge of the reading rooms of the Paris site (2007-2010) then in charge of mission for the creation of the producer repository (2010-2013), before being entrusted with the responsibility of the Conservation Department.

 In 2015, the National Archives was confronted with a major disaster: 56,000 archival boxes and tens of thousands of plans were massively contaminated by mould. The implementation of an ethylene oxide treatment, a solution well known to archivists as librarians, would require several years for such a volume of archives. This is why the National Archives decided to use gamma ray treatment, a solution commonly used in other countries for the decontamination of books or archives, but unprecedented in France on such a scale. Although many articles have been published on the effectiveness and risks of this treatment, there is, on the other hand, no really available instructions for use: how to build the pallets for the irradiation of documents, how to calculate the applicable radiation doses, how to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment? So it was a methodology that had to be developed. This first in France is also an opportunity to test the consequences of exposure to gamma rays of certain specific media, including photographic and audiovisual media… To carry out this operation and the research projects associated with it, the National Archives is supported by the Collections Conservation Research Centre (CRCC), the Historic Monuments Research Laboratory (LRMH), BnF and the ARC-Nucléart laboratory.

Diagnostic Methods and Tree Management Decision in Heritage Sites

Denis Mirallié, landscape engineer.

Intervenor Denis Mirallié is a landscape engineer, graduate of the École nationale supérieure d'horticulture de Versailles and holder of the certificate of advanced studies in architecture (CEAA) «historic gardens and landscape» of the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Versailles. Established in the Paris region as a liberal professional, he has participated for more than fifteen years in numerous studies of restoration of historic gardens or on classified or registered sites, and is interested in related ornamental tree management practices. As part of the laboratory of the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles where he teaches within the Master 2 «historic gardens, heritage, landscape», he co-supervises teams of students during landscape studies contributing to a better knowledge of the interventions of landscape designers and the evolution of landscape forms in relation to management practices.

Similar to the improvement in knowledge of the biology of the tree and as the tree is taken into account outside the forest or more commonly ornamental, methods of plant health diagnosis have, in recent years, This has been largely developed, sometimes leading to a fine evaluation of the health status of trees. The legal liability of the tree owner in the event of an accident and some tragic accidents (Aix-en-Provence, Strasbourg) have contributed to develop this research. Nevertheless, as far as health diagnosis is concerned, the management decision in fine also depends on the combination of several other factors that determine a hazard: 

• the presence of a target: furniture or building, person;
• the likelihood of the diagnosed event occurring.

The concept of risk also incorporates a cultural dimension: the acceptability of risk, as illustrated by the formula “there is no risk 0” with varying levels of acceptance. Preventive actions may address some or all of the factors of danger: 

• remove the target: temporary or final park closure measures;
• to act on the source of the danger, in this case the tree: from the slaughter to the specific size, measures which may however meet various objections or come up against binding legislation on certain protected species (bats, insects);
• accept the hazard or reassess our acceptance of an event.

Thus, diagnostic techniques for diagnosing the condition of the tree are an asset in better identifying the likelihood of the potential hazard. We will consider some recent diagnostic tools by discussing their strengths and limitations by looking at two most common diagnostic methods in ornamental arboriculture:

• physiological (or vigorous) diagnosis: it aims to identify symptoms affecting the functioning of the tree (growth, sap circulation, etc.). Biotic, abiotic or anthropogenic factors are commonly distinguished. Molecular biology methods identify the presence of potentially pathogenic fungi or bacteria at early stages;
• mechanical performance diagnosis. This more recent approach, originally formalised by German researcher Claus Mattheck, has been the subject of many advances over the past twenty years. The analogy with the structure of a boat leads us to consider the tree/wind relationship and what can affect its resistance.

The latest approaches, developed by English researchers, integrate the consideration of risk directly related to the site studied. These current trends often take into account the tree with a very specific look, at the risk of neglecting the system it represents and beyond, its integration into a landscape project. *

The ongoing training of the Restaurateurs Department of the National Heritage Institute: a scientific and technological monitoring of work carried out in France and abroad

Nathalie Palmade-Le Dantec, Assistant to the Director of Studies of the Restorers Department, in charge of Continuing Education, National Heritage Institute (INP), Session Chair.

Intervenor : Nathalie Palmade Le Dantec is a conservator of paintings, modern and contemporary art, and consultant in preventive conservation. Eager to share the results of research conducted at the international level, she is at the initiative of the translation of Richard Wolbers' book¹ in French.

 In order to best meet the expectations of professionals and to try to provide practical and concrete answers to the often very specific and complex situations they face, Continuing education strives to monitor scientific and technological developments in Europe and around the world on subjects of applied research in this field. Thus, for example, we participated in the introduction in France of works and techniques of watery cleaning of Richard Wolbers, associate professor in the department of Conservation of works of art at the University of Delaware, by having him come regularly and having his book translated into French. In order to provide elements of response in fields of application little advanced, we were the first to present and organize a training based on his research work carried out within the framework of the international group on the problem of cleaning emulsion paints (acrylic paints, vinyl) with the Tate (London) and the Getty Conservation Institute. In the same vein, we presented to him our very particular and Parisian problems on the restoration of wall paintings with wax to encourage him to help us define a suitable cleaning procedure. To satisfy requests in other areas, we also presented work on aqueous methods for cleaning furniture, textiles and metals; a first on the protection and removal of tags; the modular program software for the installation of cleaning systems by Chris Stravroudis (Getty Conservation Institute); alternative solvents for toxic solvents (CNRS and Getty research). This year will be proposed the new methods of conditioning and framing for graphic arts (new materials, research National Gallery, Washington D.C.) and, in collaboration with the LRMH, the evolution on new lasers applied to stone, plaster and metal. Richard Wolbers' expertise has benefited many sites with specific and unresolved problems to date.

1 Cleaning Painted Surfaces: Aqueous Methods. London: Archetype publications, 2000.

New cleaning techniques for contemporary art: the case of Barnett Newman’s Shining Forth at the Centre Georges-Pompidou

Véronique Sorano-Stedman, head of the Art Restoration Department, National Museum of Modern Art.

Intervenor Véronique Sorano-Stedman is a former student of the Ecole du Louvre and graduated from IFROA-INP (1980-1984) and from the Master’s degree in Science and Techniques in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property at the University of Paris-I-Panthéon-Sorbonne. An independent restorer, she worked for the Louvre Museum and the museums of France at the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF) for more than twenty years. Manager of the Atelier Rostain and then of the Arcanes company with Cinzia Pasquali, she directed major projects such as the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre, the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, and the Aurora Pavilion at Sceaux. Since 2010, she has been head of the National Museum of Modern Art’s restoration department at the Centre Georges-Pompidou.

Shining Forth is one of Barnett Newman’s greatest masterpieces¹. This table of imposing size (290 x 442 cm) is a refined composition of black vertical bands painted on an unbleached cotton canvas, simply glued. In June 1990, eleven years after entering the collections, Shining Forth was accidentally soiled and then deteriorated unexpectedly visually. A first phase of in-depth research and testing ended with the abandonment of the restoration project because of a lack of suitable techniques to solve a problem deemed insoluble. From 2010, innovations in cleaning and collaboration with C2RMF and Richard Wolbers made it possible to consider and implement treatment hypotheses. This presentation illustrates both the evolution of protocols available to restaurateurs and the conditions necessary to treat complex cases: taking responsibility, exchanges, access to research.

¹ 1905-1970, American abstract expressionist painter.

Decontamination and cleaning of Eugène Delacroix’s wall paintings at Saint-Sulpice church with siliconized gels and solvents

Marie Monfort, Director of Religious and Civil Art Conservation (COARC), City of Paris, and
Alina Moskalik-Detalle, restorer of wall paintings.

Marie Monfort is Chief Curator of Heritage, responsible for the Conservation of Religious and Civil Works of Art of the City of Paris (COARC) since 2013. This service is responsible for the inventory, study and restoration of the decorations and works of art of the religious buildings of the City and prepares an exhibition on the religious paintings of the xviii^e century in the churches of Paris. Prior to this, she worked as a curator of antiquities and art objects in the Hauts-de-Seine department of the Paris-Musées public institution. She published several books and articles on wall painting in the 1930s, including L'école joyeuse et parée with Isabelle Collet, in 2013, around the decorations of Paris schools, on the occasion of an exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris. She is curator of the exhibition Baroque des Lumières. Masterpieces of the Parisian churches in the 18th century^e century», inaugurated in March 2017 at the Petit Palais.

Alina Moskalik-Detalle is a graduate of the University of Paris-I-Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Academy of Fine Arts of Warsaw (Poland), Department of Conservation and Restoration of Paintings. She specializes in the conservation and restoration of wall paintings. After working for five years in the United Kingdom and the United States, she moved to France in 1993. Among his projects are studies and restorations of many wall paintings across France. Since 2004, she and her team have been responsible for monitoring the conservation of the Lascaux cave. Recently, she has directed several projects in Parisian churches, including the restoration of Charles de La Fosse’s fresco at Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church, mural paintings by Georges Lallemant at Saint-Joseph ChurchNicolas-des-Champs, murals by Eugène Delacroix at Saint-Sulpice church.

 In 1849 Delacroix was commissioned to decorate the chapel of the Holy Angels in Saint-Sulpice. For the mounted canvas, he retains the subject of Saint Michael slaying the demon, for the two wall paintings, he chooses the struggle of Jacob with the angel and Heliodorus driven out of the temple. Construction began in 1854, the chapel was inaugurated in 1861, two years before Delacroix’s death. The monumental paintings, of about 220 m², have a heterogeneous surface appearance. They were made by superimposing several layers of color, up to fifteen, applied in glaze or impasto. The pictorial layer is composed of mineral pigments and dyes mixed with an organic binder consisting of oil and wax. The paintings have already been restored several times, the last intervention dates from 1978. The work began in October 2015 and lasted a year, four months of which were devoted to the study. Each intervention step was validated by the Scientific Committee after evaluation of the treatment protocols by the LRMH. The cleaning was carried out with silicone gels and solvents, developed and tested in situ with Professor Richard Wolbers depending on the materials to be removed, grime, repaints, natural or synthetic restoration varnish. This method, which consists in limiting the penetration of the active principle in the pictorial layer by protecting it with a siliconized solvent, is particularly suitable for the problem of cleaning complex and fragile paints.

The challenges of restoration: preserving and studying. About the rose west of the Sainte-Chapelle de Paris

Michel Hérold, General Curator of Heritage, Centre André Chastel, and Claudine Loisel, Head of the Vitrail Scientific Centre, Research Laboratory of Historical Monuments.

Intervenor : Michel Hérold, doctor authorised to direct the research, is general curator of the heritage made available to the Centre André Chastel, where he is co-responsible for the research theme 5: «Materials, techniques, trades: surveys on artistic know-how». Director of the French Committee of Corpus Vitrearum since 2004, Michel Hérold, in his research that focuses on the entire knowledge of the art of stained glass, His work focuses particularly on the study of the workshops of glass painters of the late Middle Ages and on the various aspects of their modes of operation; he pays special attention to the glass material.

Claudine Loisel, PhD in Chemistry and Research Engineer, is responsible for the Vitrail Science Centre at the Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques (LRMH). She is in charge of the expertise and diagnosis of the projects of conservation and restoration of the stained glass windows classified and inscribed as historical monuments (cathedrals of Chartres, Strasbourg and Reims, Sainte-Chapelle de Paris, Vincennes, Riom). She has participated in numerous national and international projects on the knowledge and understanding of processes of weathering glassy materials. She is also an expert member of the Research Committee.

Teams from the Centre André Chastel (Paris-IV-CNRS-MCC), the Institut de minéralogie et de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie (Paris-VI-CNRS-MNHN-IRD) and the Centre de recherche sur la conservation (Muséum-CNRS-MCC) have joined forces to study the rose of the Sainte-DameChapel of Paris, masterpiece of the late Middle Ages stained glass window. The 2014-2015 restoration campaign offered a unique opportunity to access this glass roof in the ideal conditions of the workshop. This project proposed to bring together the expertise of historians of stained glass and medieval painting, physicists, chemists and mineralogists to highlight the key information contained in the color of stained glass:

• define and quantify the colour palette of the lenses used;
• determine chemical compositions (glass matrix and colouring elements);
• discuss the conditions for making glasses;
• distinguish temporal and geographical origins from glasses.

The approach is based on the observation of glasses in the workshop and the expertise in authenticity criticism of the stained glass historians of the André Chastel Centre, the spectroscopic analyses carried out with an assembly developed specifically by the team of the Institute of Mineralogy and Physics of Materials and Cosmochemistry and the elementary analyses carried out by the team of the Conservation Research Centre (CRC). These results are confronted with questions of the stylistic homogeneity of the work and the coherence or not of the execution on glass. The rose of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, a landmark in the history of glass painting in France, allows us to link the eyes of art historians to the analysis of the colours of the work, one illuminating the other. This approach has long been awaited by art historians, helping to confirm or refine many working hypotheses. The fundamental research undertaken by scientists will now benefit from a stimulating and solid historical perspective.

Localized treatment of metallic elements of composite objects with inseparable organic materials

Christian Degrigny, teacher-researcher, research unit, Haute Ecole Arc de conservation-restauration (Neuchâtel, Switzerland).

Intaglio : Christian Degrigny is a conservation and restoration researcher. After obtaining a thesis in mineral chemistry on the stabilization of aluminum alloys from aeronautical remains, he worked in France and especially abroad to make accessible the use of electrochemical techniques in conservation and restoration. He currently divides his time between his research-teaching activities at the Haute Ecole Arc Conservation-restauration in Neuchâtel and as co-manager of the Château de Germolles (Saône-et-Loire).

The preservation and restoration of composite objects containing both metallic elements and inseparable organic materials usually requires isolating one material to treat the other. The existing techniques are rarely compatible for the two materials considered and the insulation being rarely perfect, they remain potentially harmful to the material associated with the one being treated. The Pleco is a new electrolytic brush to treat locally the metal parts of a composite object, without risk to the associated material(s). Economical and made in kit from elements made by laser cutting and 3D printing, it incorporates an electrolytic cell with 3 electrodes continuously powered with a permanently renewed solution. This applied research tool, since it allows to define the parameters of treatment, is also a treatment tool not only safe and effective but also user-friendly and easy to use for conservators. Originally developed to clean the tarnishing of silver plates on reliquaries consisting of a wooden core, the Pleco has since been successfully applied to the cleaning of ternis silver gilt composite objects and to the stabilization of active corrosion of lead seals still attached to the leather, textile and paper objects they certify. The cleaning of metal yarns in textile materials could be a future field of experimentation.

Research on the use of aminoalkylalkoxysilans for the consolidation of fragile materials: from archival documents to contemporary art

Véronique Rouchon, Assistant Director, Collections Conservation Research Centre (CRCC), and Oulfa Belhadj, Assistant Engineer, Collections Conservation Research Centre (CRCC).

Intervenor : Véronique Rouchon studied engineering at the École Polytechnique (X 86), as well as university studies in Paris-I (Bachelor of Art History) and Paris-VII (Doctorate in Materials Sciences). From 1993 to 2005, she taught at the University of La Rochelle as a lecturer and conducted research on the conservation of manuscripts containing ferrogallic inks. In 2005, she joined the Centre de recherche sur la conservation des documents graphiques (CRCDG) as a research engineer with the Ministry of Culture and Communication. In 2016, as Professor of the National Museum of Natural History, she became Assistant Director of the Centre for Conservation Research (CRCC).

Ferrogallic inks are sensitive to water and certain restoration treatments cause, around the lines, more or less perceptible brown halos, which are accompanied by a migration of iron detrimental to the preservation of the support. These migrations are difficult to avoid because the solubility tests performed by restorers are unreliable. A colorimetric test has recently been proposed to assess migration risks during reinforcement with a water-based glue. It consists in testing the reinforcement procedure itself, which must be applied on a paper bearing an inscription of ferrogallic ink and previously impregnated with bathophenanthroline. This test works well in assessing the impact of aqueous adhesives and we have sought to use it on other types of treatment, reconciling the results obtained with the review of original documents if necessary. This test is not suitable for evaluating immersion and organic solvent treatments. However, it allows a reliable evaluation of aqueous treatments where the water supply is moderate, without extraction possible.

Retention of Ferrogallic Ink Plots: When Solubility Tests are Not Reliable

Véronique Rouchon, Assistant Director, Collections Conservation Research Centre (CRCC), and Oulfa Belhadj, Assistant Engineer, Collections Conservation Research Centre (CRCC).

Intervenor : university training in Paris-I (Bachelor of Art History) and Paris-VII (PhD in Materials Sciences). From 1993 to 2005, she taught at the University of La Rochelle as a lecturer and conducted research on the conservation of manuscripts containing ferrogallic inks. In 2005, she joined the Centre de recherche sur la conservation des documents graphiques (CRCDG) as a research engineer with the Ministry of Culture and Communication. In 2016, as Professor of the National Museum of Natural History, she became Assistant Director of the Centre for Conservation Research (CRCC).

Ferrogallic inks are sensitive to water and certain restoration treatments cause, around the lines, more or less perceptible brown halos, which are accompanied by a migration of iron detrimental to the preservation of the support. These migrations are difficult to avoid because the solubility tests performed by restorers are unreliable. A colorimetric test has recently been proposed to assess migration risks during reinforcement with a water-based glue. It consists in testing the reinforcement procedure itself, which must be applied on a paper bearing an inscription of ferrogallic ink and previously impregnated with bathophenanthroline. This test works well in assessing the impact of aqueous adhesives and we have sought to use it on other types of treatment, reconciling the results obtained with the review of original documents if necessary. This test is not suitable for evaluating immersion and organic solvent treatments. However, it allows a reliable evaluation of aqueous treatments where the water supply is moderate, without extraction possible.

How to introduce 3D technologies in conservation-restoration workshops?

Maximiliane Richy, PhD student in conservation-restoration, University of Paris-I-Panthéon-Sorbonne.

Intervenor Maximiliane Richy graduated in 2011 from the Master’s Degree in Conservation-Restoration of Cultural Property from the University of Paris-I, specializing in ceramics and glass. She is interested in the possibilities that digitization and 3D printing technologies could offer conservators, both day-to-day and outside the institution, especially for fillings. In 2016, she obtained a Master 2 in Heritage and Conservation-Restoration research during which she evaluated the possibilities of introducing 3D technologies in conservation-restoration workshops. Since then, she has been working on her thesis at the École doctorale d'histoire de l'art (ED 441) at the University of Paris-I with the aim of expanding access to these technologies for independent professionals.

Nowadays, the media and computer specialists tell us that 3D technologies will «revolutionize» our daily lives and our way of working. They suggest that 3D technologies can be used daily by everyone. All techniques using the framework and mathematical calculations as defined by Euclidean geometry to function are referred to as 3D technology. This brings together a wide range of technologies. In computer science, “3D” can be broken down into three main phases: the acquisition of data from a real object (3D scan), modelling or manipulation using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and finally the exploitation of data with applications such as virtual reality, augmented reality and subtractive or additive manufacturing (3D printing). Together, they enable a multitude of operations. As a result of these capabilities, many trades have integrated the use of these technologies into their practice. In conservation-restoration, various sources show that professionals independently try to use these tools. However, it seems that 3D is mainly used in large budget projects alone. What exactly is the situation? Can a bibliographical research be used to assess the use of these technologies for conservation and restoration operations? Is it possible to make these technologies accessible to all conservation and restoration workshops as predicted by computer specialists and the media?

 Introduction

Mireille Grubert, Director of the École de Chaillot, Session Chair.

Intervenor Mireille Grubert is Director of the École de Chaillot, Department of Education of the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine (CAPA) in Paris. After having been project manager for restoration projects, she worked as architect of the buildings of France for about fifteen years. She previously worked for a year in the United States for the Foundation for San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage, as well as at the European Commission in Brussels, in the Directorate General for Regional Policy, in the area of urban policies. Currently a member of the Old Paris Commission, she also sits on the National Commission for Safeguarded Sectors, the Board of Directors of the French section of ICOMOS and the Board of the Academy of Architecture.

Mireille Grubert will present two aspects of innovation that are currently being debated in the fields of research, practice and teaching on heritage and that interact: digital in all uses (BIM, digital surveys, distance learning) on the one hand, the place of the human and the evolution of the status of experts on the other.

“Semiantiser” and make conservation-restoration data interoperable: the PARCOURS project

Élise Leboucher, Head of Documentation, Historical Monuments Research Laboratory, and Sheikh Niang, Research Engineer, Historical Monuments Research Laboratory.

Intervenor : Élise Leboucher has been responsible for the documentation centre of the Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques (LRMH) since 1976. As such, she designed and manages the laboratory’s “Castor” database. Since 2013, she has led the PARCOURS project, part of Patrima, under the aegis of the Heritage Sciences Foundation and, since January 2017, the Ministry of Culture and Communication.

Sheikh Niang holds a PhD in Computer Science. He is a research engineer with the LRMH and is currently responsible for the PARCOURS project. It conducts research in the fields of the semantic web (knowledge representation, ontologies, semantic annotation, automatic reasoning) and data integration (integration and exchange of information from various sources, interrogation of data in the presence of ontologies, rewriting of requests).

There is no doubt that the protection and management of heritage objects are of paramount importance today. The notion of cultural heritage that we consider here covers all material and intangible entities of heritage interest for present and future generations[End of translation]¹. Quelle que soit leur spécificité, les institutions partenaires de ce projet (LRMH, C2RMF, CRCC, INP, IPANEMA, ETIS, DAVID) emploient des acteurs travaillant essentiellement dans différents domaines liés à la conservation-restauration du patrimoine. Ces professionnels produisent une quantité importante de données telles que des résultats d’analyse ou d’observation mais ont actuellement beaucoup de difficultés à mettre en relation leurs travaux. Ce problème d’interopérabilité est dû au fait que les données produites, même si elles partagent des points communs, sont hétérogènes et isolées les unes des autres. L’objectif du projet PARCOURS (Patrimoine culturel et Restauration-Conservation : Ontologie pour l’usage d’un référentiel commun aux différentes Sources de données) est de fournir un point de référence commun qui faciliterait le partage d’informations entre les différents acteurs de la conservation-restauration. Pour ce faire, ce projet s’appuie sur le web sémantique et l’intégration de données. Lors d’une première phase, une ontologie capable d’offrir un cadre consensuel de représentation formelle des données de conservation-restauration a été construite. Lors d’une deuxième phase, cette ontologie a été mise en œuvre dans un système d’intégration de données, cette infrastructure permettant d’interroger simultanément différentes données de conservation-restauration sans se soucier de la structure des données interrogées, ni de leurs sources de provenance et encore moins de la façon précise dont les requêtes sont construites.

Une plateforme d’annotation sémantique 3D pour la documentation et le suivi de l’état de conservation des objets patrimoniaux

Livio De Luca, directeur de recherche au CNRS, directeur de l’UMR CNRS/MCC MAP _ Modèles et simulations pour l’Architecture et le Patrimoine.

Architecte, docteur des Arts et Métiers-ParisTech, habilité à diriger des recherches en informatique, Livio De Luca est directeur de recherche au CNRS et directeur de l’UMR CNRS/MCC MAP (Modèles et simulations pour l’Architecture et le Patrimoine). Co-président du congrès international UNESCO/IEEE/EG DigitalHeritage (2013 à Marseille et 2015 à Grenade), il coordonne et participe à plusieurs projets de recherche sur la numérisation 3D, la documentation, la conservation et la diffusion du patrimoine culturel à l’échelle nationale (ANR, FUI, CNRS, MCC, …) et internationale (FP7, ICT-PSP, Marie-Curie…). Ses travaux ont été récompensés en 2007 par le Prix Pierre Bézier de la Fondation Arts et Métiers et en 2016 par la Médaille de la recherche et de la technique de l’Académie d’architecture.

Dans le domaine de la conservation, des données variées décrivent les états d’un objet patrimonial (données de relevé et d’imagerie scientifique, cartographies des détériorations, collectes photographiques, archives historiques, documents d’analyse, prélèvements, etc.). Face à la difficulté de collecter, comparer, analyser et valider les données préalables à la restauration, les travaux de recherche du laboratoire MAP visent à mobiliser divers champs disciplinaires (l’architecture, la conservation, la mécanique, l’informatique) afin de définir un prototype de chaîne de traitement de l’information (incluant données métriques, analyses des surfaces, modèles géométriques, sources documentaires hétérogènes, etc.). L’objectif est de concevoir et de développer une plateforme logicielle ouverte et extensible pour la capitalisation et la gestion de connaissances favorisant la compréhension et l’analyse des phénomènes de dégradation. Notre approche présente deux caractères innovants : d’un côté l’idée de relier (et de rapprocher) la phase d’acquisition des données à celle de leur analyse et de leur interprétation ; de l’autre côté, l’ambition d’élaborer des supports d’analyse (morphologie, état des surfaces, comportements) interconnectés par un système de caractérisation sémantique basé sur des mécanismes de distribution/propagation (multi-échelles et multi-projections) de concepts structurés au sein d’une ontologie de domaine.

Constats d’état sur tablettes et smartphones à l’aide de Horus condition report® : avantages et perspectives

Anaïs Gailhbaud, restauratrice du patrimoine, spécialisée en sculptures et objets composites.

Intervenant : Anaïs Gailhbaud est restauratrice du patrimoine, spécialisée en sculptures et objets composites. Diplômée de l’Institut national du patrimoine et de l’École du Louvre, elle est la créatrice de l’application Horus condition report®.

Horus condition report® est une application mobile pour éditer des constats d’état de qualité sur tablettes et smartphones. Cet outil s’adresse aux professionnels de l’art et du patrimoine amenés à faire des constats d’état : restaurateurs, régisseurs, conservateurs, voire experts et transporteurs. Depuis quelques années, avec l’augmentation de la circulation des œuvres, la pratique du constat s’est considérablement développée. L’implication juridique du constat est majeure et engage la responsabilité des signataires. Pourtant, en 2016, les constats présentent souvent de nombreuses lacunes :

• ils contiennent rarement des photos actualisées de l’œuvre ;
• les altérations sont rarement annotées sur les photos ;
• les photos de détails des altérations sont rarement incluses ;
• les champs prescrits par la norme Afnor ne sont pas toujours respectés ;
• les constats faits par différents intervenants sont hétérogènes, même dans une même exposition ;
• le vocabulaire utilisé n’est pas toujours compréhensible par tous ;
• les risques d’incompréhension sont importants quand les deux examinateurs sont de langue différente.

L’application Horus condition report® est conçue pour augmenter la qualité générale des constats et réduire le temps passé à son édition. L’usage d’une application a en effet de nombreux avantages. Il permet :

• de concentrer plusieurs outils en un seul ;
• d’être guidé dans la réalisation du constat ;
• de localiser simplement les altérations- de proposer du vocabulaire ;
• de traduire automatiquement un constat.

Horus est en ligne depuis juillet 2016 avec un souci d’accessibilité pour les indépendants et les institutions. De nouvelles options sont en cours de développement pour lui permettre de couvrir tous les scenarii des collections.

Table ronde: Construire la recherche en conservation-restauration

Modératrice : Aline Magnien, directrice du Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques.

Avec Céline Bonnot-Diconne, restauratrice du patrimoine, maître d’art ;  Jeanne Cassier, enseignante au sein du cycle conservation-restauration des œuvres sculptées de l’école des Beaux-Arts de TALM-Tours ; Robert Jourdan, conservateur général du patrimoine, conservateur régional des Monuments historiques, direction régionale des Affaires culturelles Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur ;Olivier Piffault, directeur du département de la Conservation, Bibliothèque nationale de France et  Christian Vernou, conservateur en chef du patrimoine, directeur scientifique et culturel d’ARC-Nucléart.

Intervenant : Aline Magnien, conservateur général du patrimoine, a œuvré au sein de l’Inventaire général des richesses et monuments artistiques de la France de 1994 à 2007 avant de devenir responsable du service des Collections au musée Rodin. Depuis décembre 2016, elle dirige le Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques.

Céline Bonnot-Diconne est restauratrice spécialiste des objets en cuir, en peau ou en parchemin. Elle intervient sur les cuirs archéologiques, les objets ethnographiques, le mobilier ou les arts décoratifs, aussi bien en termes de conservation préventive que de traitement ou d’étude des collections. Son expérience est internationalement reconnue sur les cuirs dorés polychromes (dits « cuirs de Cordoue »). En 2005, elle crée et dirige le 2CRC (Centre de conservation et de restauration du cuir), structure unique en France qui se consacre exclusivement à la restauration des objets en cuir et dispose de moyens techniques dédiés. Elle a été coordinatrice du groupe Cuir de l’ICOM-CC (période 2011-2014), pensionnaire à l’Académie de France à Rome (2011-2012). Elle est co-fondatrice de la Gilt Leather Society créée en décembre 2016 à Amsterdam pour favoriser et soutenir la recherche internationale sur les décors en cuir doré. En septembre 2015, elle se voit décerner le titre de maître d’art par le ministère de la Culture et de la Communication.

Diplômée de l’institut national du Patrimoine – département des restaurateurs en 2006, Jeanne Cassier pratique depuis la conservation-restauration de sculptures en tant que professionnelle indépendante. Depuis 2016, elle enseigne et fait la co-coordination au sein du cycle conservation-restauration des œuvres sculptés de l’école des beaux-arts de TALM-Tours, qui forme les futurs restaurateurs. À travers ces différentes activités, elle travaille à une meilleure reconnaissance de la profession et insertion des jeunes diplômés dans le contexte professionnel.

Robert Jourdan est conservateur général du patrimoine, conservateur régional des Monuments historiques, coordonnateur du pôle Patrimoines à la direction régionale des Affaires culturelles Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. De 1981 à 2009, Il a exercé ses fonctions successivement en Champagne-Ardenne, Centre, Pays-de-la-Loire, Languedoc-Roussillon. Il a participé à de nombreuses communications et publications sur des thèmes divers : problématiques de conservation des édifices, méthodologies d’études monumentales, photographie patrimoniale, apports des technologies récentes.

Olivier Piffault, conservateur général, Directeur du département de la Conservation à la Bibliothèque nationale de France depuis 2013, est chargé du pilotage, de la programmation et de la mise en œuvre de la politique de conservation. Auparavant en poste au département des Imprimés, il a participé au chantier d'ouverture de la BnF. Spécialiste du patrimoine du livre pour enfant et de la bande dessinée, il a été adjoint au directeur de la Joie par les Livres.

Archéologue de formation, Christian Vernou a dirigé le Musée archéologique de Dijon de 2002 à 2016. Conservateur en chef du patrimoine, mis à la disposition de l’Atelier régional de conservation ARC-Nucléart à Grenoble par le ministère de la Culture et de laCommunication, il est chargé de la direction scientifique et culturelle du Laboratoire depuis juin 2016. Il est également chercheur associé à l’UMR 6298, ARTéHIS, Archéologie, terre, culture, sociétés.

La recherche dans le domaine de la conservation-restauration se construit à plusieurs car il convient de ne jamais considérer comme normale et évidente la restauration d’une œuvre, non pas seulement dans ses complexités matérielles, ses procédures, ses techniques, mais dans son principe même. Il n’est en aucun cas évident qu’il faille restaurer, et qu’il faille restaurer telle ou telle œuvre (pourquoi celle-là et pas une autre ?) et il suffit de penser à la position de Ruskin ou aux débats qui ont suivi la Première Guerre mondiale sur le fait de laisser certaines ruines telles quelles pour perpétuer le souvenir de la barbarie, pour se rendre compte qu’au fond, cela ne va pas de soi. La restauration, comme nous la concevons globalement, s’inscrit dans un moment historique, relève d’une certaine conception du passé, conception particulière peut-être au monde occidental de ce que doit être la conservation de ce passé. La conservation-restauration est un acte anthropologique et culturel. Par conséquent, la recherche dans ce domaine ne peut que nouer un dialogue, le plus fructueux possible, entre les acteurs de terrain, les conservateurs et historiens de l’art, les restaurateurs et les laboratoires de recherche.