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Alert ! French conservators-restorers are in danger !

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Guest#26 Mar 22, 2016, 13:55
To support my colleagues in Europe and advocate for continued high standards of education, training and ethical practice in the conservation of cultural materials
Guest#27 Mar 22, 2016, 14:02
Especially in this time period when so many historical artifacts and sites are at serious risk of annihilation by religious zealots, it is most important to work steadily on preserving all art and artifacts around the world in museums and in plein air.
Guest#28 Mar 22, 2016, 16:47
I signed this petition because I am a graduate trained conservator and I understand how competitive it is to attain the proper education to do the job with sensitivity. We need that effort recognized and valued. I am a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation and I am proud of both my hand skills and academic achievement. Both are vital for this profession!
Guest#29 Mar 22, 2016, 17:01
I'm an objects and paintings conservator with over 30 years of experience in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and the USA. Ever since I started in this profession there has been the threat of diminishing the profession for the sake of financial reasons and a cheaper workforce . (Restaurator im Handwerk in Germany for example). This means that I will always support efforts to avoid this fate for fellow conservators, no matter where they are located.
However, I also think that an even cheaper workforce would be welcome by quite a few organisations to reduce the expenses of conservation care for exhibitions and the like. Sad as it is!

Much success with this effort!

Bettina Landgrebe
Guest#30 Mar 23, 2016, 05:18
As an art history professor and painter, I appreciate the special knowledge, experience and skills required to maintain artworks of the past for the future.

This comment has been removed by the person who wrote it.

Guest#32 Mar 23, 2016, 09:25
I'm the conservator too. We should be solidarity with our colleagues. We should protect historical monuments.
Guest#33 Mar 23, 2016, 12:31
I believe in preserving the good things that previous generations of all nationalities have bequeathed us. Especially important when so much wanton destruction is rife in this day and age.
Guest#34 Mar 23, 2016, 15:00
This sounds like a terrible idea. We have been so fortunate in the USA to deal with excellent French conservators for so many years. Training in France is also highly respected. Our institution has hosted many French graduate interns in conservation of historic and artistic property. Such a distinguished tradition of education and training should be highly respected and PRESERVED.
Guest#35 Mar 23, 2016, 18:35
Artists or names of the heritage materials/place/object are famous in the world. But conservators are often stay behind the art works or heritage materials, all his or her efforts help to live long life to that works of art or heritage materials. He or she is not a craftsman. But conservators need recognition of his or her works and has dignity!
Guest#36 Mar 24, 2016, 05:57

I am a conservator-restorer from Bulgaria. The situation in our country is literally a mirror one. I strongly support all reactions against ignoring our professional competence and advice, and underestimating our contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage.

Marisa#37 Mar 24, 2016, 10:04

Quiénes desconocen su patrimonio, no saben valorarlo  ni en qué consiste su conservación y preservación. En estas condiciones no se puede esperar que sepan que profesionales deben de encargarse de ello. Lamentablemente, parece que esta es la situación que se está produciendo también en Francia.

Guest#38 Mar 28, 2016, 21:52
Only trained professionals must handle our heritage.
Guest#39 Mar 29, 2016, 21:46
The very nature of reversibility is a key concept in conservation and was adopted as a fundamental principal due to the damage caused to cultural heritage by uninformed craftspersons and their choices of materials used in restoration. We must maintain the standards of practice and the code of ethics in caring for our heritage or it will be lost.
Guest#40 Mar 30, 2016, 06:56
I am a professional conservator working in a UK based public organisation.
Guest#41 Mar 30, 2016, 08:07
It is important that the status of conservator remains in the higfhest regard. We have trained in world class institutions and many of us working in large National museums

This comment has been removed by the person who wrote it.

Guest#43 Mar 31, 2016, 08:37
Independent conservators are doing a large share of skilled work in conservation and have training, knowledge and experience which cannot just be called a craft.
Guest#44 Mar 31, 2016, 17:50

The program at the Sorbonne has produced out-standing
conservators--that is, not craftspeople who FIX things when
they are broken--but professionals whose understainding of
materials, their physical, chemical and structural properties
allows them to PRESERVE the heritage of France.

 

This was understood already at the time of the revolution of

the 18th century--it speaks not well of the lawmakers of the 21st
century that they lack the understanding and foresight of
their predecessors. The proper preservation of one's patrimony
is the sacrosanct duty of any government--and for this reason
I have signed this petition to keep and support the university
level training of future generations of caretakers of the heritage
of France

This comment has been removed by the person who wrote it.

Hubert#46 Apr 01, 2016, 23:05

Re:

#44: -  

I fully agree, as senior conservation professional at the Rijksmuseum and as a long time lecurer in conservation at the University of Amsterdam.
 
Generations of great effort went into raising art conservation to its high international and scientific level of education and practice. To return this profession today to a mere 'mister fix it' level would a barbaric act in an otherwise so culturally rich country like France. It would effectively turn the French nation into a cultural paria.
 
In fact it may be time for another French revolution to bring an end to the outdated feudal-style system in which curators still wield absulute power over a large population of conservators hoping to be awarded contracts by the major museums. Lets hope a revolution is not necessary and that it will be understood by reason that scientifically trained conservators are equal partners in the care of cultural heritage. And that this would lead to a balance of both curators and consevators as permant staf members in French institutions, for nowadays young conservators study as long (if not longer) in university as young art historians to get their degrees.
 
Although I am not French, I consider the cultural treasures of France - created over millenia - of immense importance for humanity. The importance of thse treasures rises far above a national interest. In my opinion there is a duty to continue taking care of these treasures on the highest professional level. I wish everyone involved enough widom of the millennia to consolidate the conservation profession at its highest level in France.

 

Guest#47 Apr 03, 2016, 12:53

This cause has merit. (One assumes that the specifics of this case are correctly reported?)

One suspects that some of this familiar confusion can be traced back to the "sticky" assumption which holds, purporting that conservation is a product of the Humanities. (Not even all conservators are innocent of this perspective, one regrets to say).  If it values itself, conservation science - as profession - should take care to affirm, point out and celebrate its primary foundations, seated firmly within the Natural Sciences.

The fact that this science is deployed on the objects born of the Humanities, (and that it enriches itself with a number of disciplines from those halls) is a frequent source of confusion to the casual enquirer. In actual fact, this bears testimony to conservation's fascinating duality: With both feet rooted in the sciences, the conservator leans across the divide to engage the failing fabric of man's heritage - with both hands and heart. Still, the practitioners are scientists, firstly and foremostly.

Adriaan Botha, Chairman, The South African Institute for Heritage Science & Conservation

Guest#48 Apr 03, 2016, 16:36
I have been graduated in this particular university degree.
Guest#49 Apr 04, 2016, 09:15
Generations of great effort went into raising art conservation to its high international and scientific level of education and practice. To return this profession today to a mere 'mister fix it' level would a barbaric act in an otherwise so culturally rich country like France. It would effectively turn the French nation into a cultural pariah.

In fact it may be time for another 'French Revolution' to bring an end to the outdated feudal-style system in which curators still wield absolute power over a large population of conservators in private practice, desperately hoping to be awarded contracts by museums. Lets hope a revolution is not necessary and it will be understood - by reason - that a scientifically trained conservator is the equal partner of any curator in the care of cultural heritage. And, that this would lead to a balance of both curators and conservators as permanent staff members in French institutions, for nowadays young conservators are required to study as long (if not longer) in a university to earn their degree as young art historians to get their degrees.

Although I am not French, I consider the cultural treasures of France - created over millennia - of immense importance for humanity. The importance of these treasures rises well above any national interest. In my opinion there is a duty to continue taking care of these treasures on the highest professional level. I wish everyone involved enough wisdom to consolidate the conservation profession at its highest level in France.
Guest#50 Apr 08, 2016, 17:45
I am sick and tired of misunderstanding and ignoring our profession.