e-News n°87

19 avril 2024

News from the Scientific Council and International Scientific Committee

2013 Symposium - Call for Abstracts

The Scientific Council (SC) is making preparations for its next Scientific Symposium, taking place on the occasion of the 2013 Advisory Committee meeting in San José, Costa Rica on 10 October, under the three-year theme of “Tangible Risks, Intangible Opportunities: Long-Term Risk Preparedness and Responses for Threats to Cultural Heritage”. The 2013 Symposium is being led by co-chairs Sofia Avgerinou-Kolonias (CIVVIH – Historic Cities and Villages President) and Gisle Jakhelln (CIAV – Vernacular Architecture President) and is entitled “Reducing Risks to Cultural Heritage from Uncontrolled Development in a Globalised World”. Download the call for abstracts – deadline 15 April 2013.

Scientific Council Elections

The Scientific Council met at the Advisory Committee meeting in Beijing on 29 October 2012. During the meeting, elections were held for SC officers. Sofia Avgerinou-Kolonias (CIVVIH – Historic Cities and Villages President) and Pamela Jerome (ISCEAH – Earthen Architectural Heritage Vice President) were reelected for a third and final term. James Reap (ICLAFI – Legal, Administrative and Financial Issues Secretary-General) was elected for a first term, replacing Stephen Kelley (ISCARSAH – Structures of Architectural Heritage President). James Reap is not new to the Scientific Council; he was a co-opted member of the SC Bureau in its earliest stages. We are greatly appreciative of Stephen Kelley’s tenure and thank him for his service on the SC. We welcome James Reap. 

ISC on Energy and Sustainability (ISCES)

Recommendations made to the Advisory Committee and affirmed by the Executive Committee include the acceptance of a new ISC, the International Scientific Committee on Energy and Sustainability, with Peter Cox (ICOMOS Ireland) as its Acting President. Proposed statutes have been reviewed by ICLAFI and are being finalized. The working group will be asked to join as members of the new ISC. There will also shortly be a call to National Committees and International Scientific Committees to encourage nominations for membership, as the subject matter covered affects every element of ICOMOS’s work. Once a membership list has been compiled, elections will be called.

ISC on Places of Religion and Ritual (ISCRR)

In addition, a new ISC under formation having to do with Places of Religion and Ritual is being encouraged to continue working towards the goal of presenting themselves for official recognition at the Advisory Committee meeting of 2013. The working group is being led by Britta Rudolff of ICOMOS Bahrain. The proposed scope of work of this new ISC emphasizes the understanding, protection, conservation and management of places, which are valued as heritage predominantly for their current roles in religious and ritual contexts. The working group intends to send out a more detailed discussion paper to encourage broader participation in the second quarter of 2013.

ISC on Astronomical Heritage (ISCAH)

 A proposal has come forward to form a joint committee between the ICOMOS and the International Union on Astronomy, emerging out of the ICOMOS–IAU Thematic Study on the “Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy”. The concept for this new ISC was proposed in Beijing and the SC recommended that the working group, currently consisting of Michel Cotte of ICOMOS France and Clive Ruggles of IAU, continue with this initiative. ICAHM (Archaeological Heritage Management) and ISC20C (20^th-Century Heritage) have also agreed to participate in its formation.

Symposium 2012 - Proceedings

 In Beijing, the SC with ICOMOS China organized a highly successful Scientific Symposium on 31 October 2012, the first under the three-year theme, “Tangible Risks, Intangible Opportunities: Long-Term Risk Preparedness and Responses for Threats to Cultural Heritage”. Entitled “Reducing Risks to Cultural Heritage from Natural and Human-Caused Disasters”, the co-chairs of the symposium were Rohit Jigyasu (ICORP – Risk Preparedness President) and Stephen Kelley (ISCARSAH – Structures of Architectural Heritage President). 82 abstracts were received of which 11 papers and 20 posters were presented, and an additional 13 papers were accepted for publication. ICOMOS China has secured funding for publication of the proceedings in hard copy. Amel Chabbi of the Executive Committee has agreed to act as co-editor, along with Stephen Kelley.

 Twentieth-Century Heritage

Also in Beijing, ISC20C (Twentieth-Century Heritage) in partnership with ICOMOS China, Beijing University of Technology and Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Shaanxi Institute of Conservation Engineering and Technology of Monuments and Sites presented an evening seminar examining current issues and case studies of twentieth-century heritage conservation during the Advisory Committee meeting in Beijing. A team of international and local speakers delivered a series of topical 15-minute presentations to a large student and practitioner audience. The Chinese translation of the ISC20C “Madrid Document: Approaches for the Conservation of Twentieth-Century Architectural Heritage”, was also launched as translated by Cheng Yang. ISC20C was pleased to receive five nominations for Chinese members of the Committee, including Prof Zhang Bing, as the China National Committee-designated voter.

ICOMOS Toolkit

There was further discussion of how to engage all National Committees (NCs) and ISCs in developing the ICOMOS Toolkit concept, and a small working committee composed of Sheridan Burke, Neil Silberman, Monica Luengo, Lyse Blanchet and Pamela Jerome will take the discussions forward with ICOMOS Documentalist Lucile Smirnov. 

ISC Elections

ICUCH Elections
ICUCH (Underwater Cultural Heritage) recently held elections and elected a new 9-person Bureau. Emad Khalil (Egypt) takes over from Thijs Maarleveld as President. Andrej Gaspari of ICOMOS Slovenia was elected Secretary. The remaining Bureau members include Carlos Ausejo (Peru), Caesar Bita (Kenya), John Gribble (South Africa), Martijn Manders (Netherlands), Peggy Leshikar-Denton (Cayman Islands), Thijs Maarleveld (Denmark), and David Nutley (Australia). We congratulate the new Bureau and encourage them to enlarge ICUCH’s membership by reviewing and accepting qualified professionals from various National Committees who meet ICUCH’s standards for membership.

CIVVIH Elections
CIVVIH (Historic Cities and Villages) held elections at their annual symposium in Naples, Italy in 2012. Sofia Avgerinou-Kolonias (Greece) was reelected as President. Bureau members include three Vice Presidents: Danuta Klosek-Kozlowska (Poland), Samir Abdulac (France), Teresa Colletta (Italy), Secretary General: Claus-Peter Echter (Germany), Members of the Executive: Nur Akin (Turkey), Giora Solar (Israel), Elene Negussie (Ireland), David Logan (Australia), Saleh Lamei (Egypt), Faika Bejaoui (Tunisia), plus Co-opted Executive Members: Angela Rojas (Cuba), Jeff Soule (US), Olga Sevan (Russia) and Zhang Jie (China). The CIVVIH meeting was jointly held with ICLAFI and in conjunction with the World Urban Forum. For further details, refer to the CIVVIH newsletter .

ICLAFI Elections
In 2012, ICLAFI (Legal, Administrative and Financial Issues) elected a new Bureau to three-year terms:  Gideon Koren (Israel), President; James Reap (USA), Secretary General; and Anne Marie Draye (Belgium), Ernesto Becerril (Mexico), and Sarah Byström (France), Vice Presidents. At the invitation of ICOMOS Mexico, ICLAFI participated in the XXXII International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation, “New realities and future challenges of Cultural Heritage Legislation” at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico in Toluca, 7-11 August 2012. This was also the 15^th annual meeting of ICLAFI. The symposium focused on the future of Mexican cultural heritage legislation, with ICLAFI members providing an international and comparative perspective and Mexican colleagues examining current Mexican legislation and ways that international experience could inform the debate on future directions in Mexico.

ISCEAH Elections
ISCEAH (Earthen Architectural Heritage) held elections for a new Executive Committee in 2012. John Hurd (UK) was reelected President and Pamela Jerome (US), Vice President. Louis Cooke (UK) became Secretary and Paul Jaquin (UK), Treasurer. In addition, five Scientific Chairs were elected, including Jonathan Bell (US), Enrico Fodde (Italy), Maddalena Achenza (Italy), Isabel Kanan (Brazil), and Julio Vargas (Peru). ISCEAH also has an additional 19 members elected to their Board. ISCEAH also held its periodic General Assembly Terra 2012, the 11^th International Conference on the Study and Conservation of Earthen Architecture, which was held in April 2012 in Lima, Peru and hosted by the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.

 Reconstructions

The frequent use of physical reconstructions (in contradiction to the spirit of the Venice Charter) and the over-commercialization of heritage sites were contentious issues of professional conservation standards that were designated for further study by ICOMOS in a resolution of the 17^th General Assembly of 2011. However, neither the scale of the problem nor the (possibly changing) attitudes of heritage professionals toward the use and extent of permissible reconstructions have been reliably documented. As a first step toward arriving at a consensus on the solutions to these issues, ICIP (Interpretation and Presentation) members, with the help of interested SC and NC colleagues, intend to include questions on the frequency, extent, and authenticity of physical reconstructions in a forthcoming online survey of interpretation practices and infrastructure at heritage sites worldwide. All ISCs and NCs will be invited to offer their advice and input. It is hoped that the results of this detailed survey—to be presented at the 2014 General Assembly—will offer a clearer understanding of the present situation and a sound basis for future ICOMOS policy.

ISC Events Calendar 

• SBH (Shared Built Heritage) and ICOFORT (Fortifications): Joint symposium and meeting, Havana and Santiago de Cuba (Cuba), 11-20 February 2013

• TheoPhilo (Theory and Philosophy): Symposium, Florence, Italy, 7-11 March 2013 

• ICOFORT (Fortifications): Annual meeting, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 10-13 April 2013

• ICIP (Interpretation and Presentation): ICIP-organized session at the 16^th Annual US/ICOMOS Symposium, “Beyond Audioguides and Walking Tours:  Who Should Interpret the Living City?”, Savannah, Georgia, 4 May 2013

• ISC20C (Twentieth-Century Heritage): European regional meeting, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 20 May 2013, followed by a conference “Our Modern: Appropriating Vulnerable Twentieth Century Heritage” organized with the Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik, Croatia, 21-23 May 2013
  

• CIVVIH (Historic Cities and Villages) with OWHC: Closing of OWHC project, “Historic cities in development: keys for understanding and action”, Lyon, France, 22-24 May 2013

• CIVVIH (Historic Cities and Villages): Central-Eastern Europe regional meeting, 2nd Heritage Forum of Central Europe, “The limits of heritage”, Cracow, Poland 12-14 June 2013

• ISCARSAH (Structures of Architectural Heritage): ICSA 2013, Second International Conference of Structures and Architecture, Guimãraes, Portugal, 24-26 July 2013

• CIPA (Documentation): XXIV International Symposium, Strasbourg, France, 2-6 September 2013

• CIVVIH (Historic Cities and Villages): 30th anniversary and annual meeting, Budapest, Hungary, 19-20 September 2013

• ISCES (Energy and Sustainability): Symposium in Dublin, Ireland or London, England, September 2013

• ISC20C (Twentieth-Century Heritage): Annual meeting together with a serial sites workshop, Chandigarh, India, 1-2 October 2013, followed by an International Symposium on Twentieth-Century Heritage with Chitkara School of Planning and Architecture and the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Architecture with support from ICOMOS India, 3-4 October 2013. Click for more information
  

• ISCCSG (Conservation of Stained Glass): Joint meeting with the Glass and Ceramics Working Group of the Committee for Conservation of ICOM, Recent Advances in Glass, Stained-Glass, and Ceramics Conservation, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 7-10 October 2013, Click for more information 
  

• ICTC (Cultural Tourism): Annual meeting and Workshop, “Living Heritage: Creative Tourism and Sustainable Communities – Education, Interpretation and Management”, Sukhothai, Thailand, 7-11 October 2013, followed by a joint event with ICOMOS Thailand & Chiang Mai University “Asian Forgotten Heritage: Perception, Preservation and Presentation” on 15-16 October 2013 in Chiang Mai and excursions to Chiang Mai.

• ISC20C (Twentieth-Century Heritage): Symposium with ICOMOS China and Docomomo China, Xi’an, China, 8-10 October 2013

• IIWC (Wood): 19^th IIWC Symposium and General Assembly, “Updating the Principles of 1999”, Himeji, Japan, 8-11 October 2013

• CIAV (Vernacular Architecture): Symposium and joint meeting with ISCEAH (Earthen Architectural Heritage), Vila Nova de Cerveiro, Portugal, 16-20 October 2013, Click for more information 
  

• ISCCL (Cultural Landscapes): Annual meeting and symposium, “Cultural Landscapes and Cultural Routes in the 21st Century: Issues and Opportunities”, Canberra, Australia, 27-31 October 2013

• ICORP (Risk Preparedness): Annual meeting, Kathmandu, Nepal, 25-29 November 2013

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