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 The
Getty Conservation Institute - Field Projects
Program for fiscal year 2003 (July 2002 to June 2003)
OBJECTIVES FOR FIELD PROJECTS
Purpose and Principles
The Getty Conservation Institute aims to advance conservation practice
worldwide through the development and implementation of model field
projects which incorporate strong research, planning and educational
objectives. In all projects, the GCI works with local partners so
as to build local expertise and ensure sustainability. The Institute
broadly disseminates information resulting from its project work
through training, publications and its web site: http://www.getty.edu/conservation.
All projects follow recognized international principles of conservation
and adhere to the highest standards of practice. These include an
understanding of the cultural significance of the object or site,
respect for the multiplicity of values associated with it, thorough
documentation and diagnostic research, and intervention which is
minimal, compatible, and appropriate to local circumstances.
Project Design
Projects are chosen based on a consideration of both the needs
of the conservation field and the GCI's own experience and expertise.
The Institute may be approached by a potential partner or may sometimes
identify possible partners in areas of work in which it has an interest.
Field projects are considered on the basis of the significance of
the conservation problem to be addressed, the potential research
or training opportunities, and the demonstrated willingness of local
and national authorities to collaborate on the project. Initial
contact is followed by a feasibility study during which all the
conceptual and practical parameters of the project are evaluated.
Chosen projects are then designed in cooperation with project partners
and implemented according to a phased work plan.
All projects are unique in some respect and vary in emphasis, complexity,
and scope. However, all adhere to a consistent methodology which
includes documentation and recording, diagnostic research and assessment,
the development and testing of conservation treatments and strategies,
implementation, and, finally, dissemination and training.
By their nature, field projects are multidisciplinary, bringing
together specialists from the arts and the sciences to exchange
ideas and develop creative and sustainable solutions for preserving
our cultural heritage. Current project teams consist of GCI (and
sometimes other Getty) staff, representatives of partner organizations,
and external consultants. They include archaeologists, conservators,
curators, engineers, architects, art historians, biologists, geologists,
chemists, city planners, surveyors, museum administrators, and site
managers.
F. LeBlanc, Head of Field Projects
FIELD PROJECTS - FISCAL YEAR 2003
CONTINUING PROJECTS
Maya Initiative
(Project Leader: Françoise Descamps)
The Maya Initiative addresses important and complementary issues
for the conservation of cultural heritage within the Maya region.
The project stems from previous GCI contributions and requests from
authorities of the region and aims to reinforce and develop conservation
practices through collaborative efforts in order to resolve common
problems in the region. To date the project focuses on two specific
areas:
1. development of management planning practices for archeological
sites and
2. development of methodological approaches to the conservation
of building materials found in the Maya region.
It is proposed to organize in 2003 a meeting of the countries that
signed the Merida 1998 Agreement.
The objective of the meeting will be to present the results of
the work undertaken at Joya de Cerén and Copán, to
analyze the collaborative process and to discuss the follow-up activities
and the means to undertake them in the perspective of a regional
effort. Activities of specific interest for the GCI will be proposed:
· training in the conservation practice for the maintenance
and conservation of earthen and stone buildings, and
· the dissemination and discussion of the site management
processes and practices in the region.
On-going research on environmental conditions and materials conservation
will continue in collaboration with the GCI Science Department.
Maya - Copan, Honduras
(Project Manager: Françoise Descamps)
The analytic work and condition survey of the Copán Hieroglyphic
Stairway were completed in 2002. Environmental monitoring, treatment
tests and the development of a conservation strategy began during
2002. Implementation of the conservation strategy and training of
local managers, technicians and maintenance staff are scheduled
for 2003.
Maya - Joya de Ceren, El Salvador
(Project Manager: Françoise Descamps)
Joya de Cerén, located in the Zapotitan Valley about 32
km northwest of San Salvador, was a pre-Hispanic farming community
that was buried under a volcanic eruption around 600 A.D. It is
the first ancient Maya Village ever uncovered completely intact.
Because of the exceptional condition of the remains, the site provides
a view of the daily lives of the Central American populations who
worked the land at that time.
In collaboration with the local authorities, the condition survey,
materials analysis and monitoring were completed during 2001. The
Management Plan and Conservation Strategy will be completed during
2002. Project commissioning, workshops and training of local resources
are planned during 2003. The Project evaluation phase should begin
in 2003.
China Initiative - Mogao Grottos
(Project Leader: Neville Agnew)
The aim of the Mogao wall paintings project is the development
of a methodology for conservation of wall paintings that can be
applied at Mogao and other similar sites in the region. The condition
assessment, research and testing of suitable grouts will be completed
during 2002. In 2003 the project will continue with two field campaigns
and further development of a cave lighting feasibility study.
A primary focus in 2003 will be detailed planning for the second
Silk Road conference to be held at the site in August 2003. Four
Chinese participants will be invited to undergo advanced training
at the GCI in July 2002 for five weeks. The Mogao team will continue
to collaborate with the China Principles team in the final development
of the visitor management study for the site. On-going research
on environmental conditions and materials conservation will continue
in collaboration with the GCI Science Department.
China Principles
(Project Manager: Martha Demas)
China Principles is a set of guidelines developed by the Chinese
in collaboration with the GCI and the Australian Heritage Commission
to guide conservation practice in China.
With the completion of the English translation of the China Principles
(Articles and Commentary) and their approval by the Chinese State
Administration for Cultural Heritage (SACH), emphasis in 2003 will
be on dissemination of these documents, both within China and externally,
and continued application of the Principles at selected sites in
China.
The application phase of the project at the Mogao Grottoes dealing
with visitor management at the site will be completed in 2003 and
prepared for presentation at the 2003 international conference at
Mogao.
The application of the China Principles at the site of Chengde,
whose feasibility is currently being assessed, will continue through
2003. Research on the traditional approaches and methods of conservation
in China and the illustrated examples of conservation practice in
China will be completed and prepared for publication.
Mosaics Initiative
(Project Leader: Martha Demas)
With the completion of the background phase of work in the Research
and Testing component of the Mosaics project in 2002, we will move
into a new phase of activity. This will focus principally on developing
and applying methods and approaches to the conservation of mosaics
in situ.
An experts meeting will be organized in 2002 in Cyprus to discuss
strategies for training in mosaics conservation and other needs
in the field and potential areas and partners for future work.
A mechanism for closer collaboration with the International Committee
for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM) and possible co-sponsorship
of the next ICCM conference will also be explored. The Comparative
Exposure Test at Caesarea will be completed, assessed and the results
disseminated during 2003.
Mosaics Tunisia
(Project Manager: Tom Roby)
The continued objective of the mosaics project in Tunisia is to
improve the practice of in situ mosaics conservation and management
by training technicians in the maintenance and basic care of mosaics
and by capacity building for those professionals and policy makers
who are responsible for sites. This will be achieved by organizing
additional campaigns of training at worksites for Institut National
du Patrimoine personnel stationed at different sites with mosaics,
thereby building on the training of the initial group of nine begun
in 1998.
We will also organize structured site visits for INP professional
and managerial staff on site management planning and the conservation
of mosaics.
Terra
(Project Leader: Mary Hardy)
Literature and training activities begun in earlier years will
continue during 2003. So many questions and issues remain unsolved
in the field of conservation of earthen architecture that field
projects have become necessary to further our knowledge and the
science of conservation in this field.
Following meetings and discussions with World Heritage Center Director
and with CRATerre EAG and ICCROM during 2002, potential field projects
will be identified and feasibility studies undertaken. Already,
potential sites in various parts of the world have been identified.
Selected projects will begin in 2003. On-going research on unbinding
mechanisms of earthen materials will continue in collaboration with
the Science Department. Training initiatives will be identified.
The literature review and technical glossary will continue during
2003.
Workshop on Altar Pieces
(Project Manager: Françoise Descamps with Valerie Dorge)
The GCI is collaborating with the Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio
Histórico (IAPH), Seville, on a workshop to address methodologies
and their application in the conservation of polychrome wooden retables
in their original context. The workshop, taking place May 13-15,
2002 in Seville, Spain, has a Latin American focus, with case presentations
from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. Activities
in 2003 will concentrate on preparation of the material for dissemination.
The proceedings will be prepared in a collaborative effort with
IAPH. All documents and materials are being produced in Spanish,
and the GCI will provide translation of relevant articles and case
studies summaries from Spanish to English. The publication of the
“Cuaderno técnicos” del IAPH is planned in the
calendar year of 2003.
Recording, Documentation & Information Management
(Project Manager: Christopher Gray)
Art. 16 of the Venice Charter states the importance of precise
documentation for all conservation projects. Gaps between suppliers
and users of documentation will be identified during 2002 at a round-table
of experts scheduled to meet at the Getty Center during March 2002.
The GCI will then select strategic gaps that it wants to study or
fill. Projects will begin during 2003. Guidelines, Technical Handbooks
and Training have already been identified as major areas requiring
immediate attention. Continuing support for RecorDIM strategy should
continue until 2007.
Digital Lab
(Project Manager: Rand Eppich)
The mission of the Digital Lab is to support the digital documentation
of the Field Projects Department and other sectors of the GCI. Support
includes digital graphic condition recording, specification of standards
for outsourced data collection and the receiving and archiving of
digital project documentation. This also includes advising on digital
aspects for all phases of a project: initiation, planning, development,
implementation, commissioning and evaluation. Specific aspects of
the Digital Lab include:
1) Preparation and maintenance of plans, sections and elevations.
2) Training staff in CAD (computer aided design), GIS (geographical
information systems) Access (databases) and other digital tools.
3) Support of dissemination activities through reports, posters
and slides.
4) Evaluation and upgrade of software and hardware.
5) Restoration of previous projects to an updated electronic media.
6) Investigation of new tools, techniques and methods for digital
documentation.
NEW PROJECTS AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2002-03
Museums in Historic Buildings
(Project Manager: Kathy Dardes)
This initiative will identify how the GCI can begin to address
conservation issues affecting moveable cultural property. The project
goal is to develop an intervention methodology that will integrate
the building (architects, engineers, archaeologists, builders etc.),
the interior (conservators, architects, craftsmen etc.) and the
collection specialists (conservators, scientists etc.) in order
to develop appropriate and sustainable preventive conservation strategies.
Conservation techniques and processes developed at the Getty and
by partners will be tested in the projects. A group of small museums
housed in historic buildings will be selected. The main deliverable
for 2003 will be the identification of field sites and the field
strategy document that will serve as the blueprint for the work
that will be undertaken.
Research projects on environmental conditions and materials conservation
will be defined in collaboration with the Science Department. The
project is likely to incorporate some of the GCI’s preventive
conservation educational work (ie, teaching material development,
short courses, etc).
Seminar on Reburial of Archaeological Remains
(Project Manager: Martha Demas)
During spring 2003, a colloquium on the topic of reburial of archaeological
sites will be organized by the GCI in collaboration with various
partners including ICCROM and the National Parks Service in the
USA.
The subject is one on which the GCI has been working for the past
decade and developed considerable expertise and information that
needs to be disseminated.
It is proposed that the colloquium be similar to the shelters colloquium
(successfully completed in January 2001 and soon to be published
in CMAS) in format (approx. 40 participants with international representation),
venue (SW United States), and partnerships (NPS, SW region; with
publication of papers by CMAS). The time of the colloquium is suggested
for early Feb. 2003.
World Archaeological Congress
(Project Manager: Neville Agnew) (WAC-5)
The WAC held every three years, is the premier international event
for archaeologists. In July 2003 it will be held in Washington,
D.C.
The organization for the fifth WAC, has invited the GCI to partner
it, together with the Smithsonian Institutions’ National Museum
of Natural History and the National Museum of the American Indian,
and to develop a major theme on conservation.
This is an exceptional opportunity for the GCI to inculcate conservation
awareness and practice to the archaeological community at large.
The GCI will work with staff from the JPGM and GRI and seek to bring
other institutional partners into the process in order to cover
the widest range of conservation issues related to sites and objects.
African Rock Art
(Project Manager: Neville Agnew)
The GCI has previously been involved in rock art through training
courses and a field project in Baja California. One of the world’s
great repositories of rock art is found in Africa and sites are
increasingly under threat from development and other causes. There
is a great need to raise awareness and conservation expertise in
the region. Several years ago the GCI developed an informal consortium
of 11 southern African countries to promote conservation of sites
in the sub-continent. The operational partner was the South African
National Monuments Council. This initiative has continued with annual
training courses held in various host countries. It is proposed
that in 2003 the feasibility of the GCI’s further involvement
to enhance the effectiveness of the consortium be explored. Additionally,
the potential for a site-specific rock art initiative in sub-Saharan
Africa with a strong national partner and with local community participation
would be assessed.
Organic Material in Wall Paintings
(Project Manager: Francesca Piqué)
The project proposes to develop a methodology for the identification
of organic materials used in wall paintings dating from the 11th
to the 18th century, making use of the collection of samples prepared
by Leonetto Tintori.from Vainella, Italy It is a short-term project:
2003 for methodology development and 2004 for implementation. 2005
for write-up or publication.
Museum Disaster Planning
(Project Manager: Kathy Dardes)
Cultural community leaders have known for many years that disaster
planning is an important responsibility that is often overlooked
due to lack of trained staff and adequate resources. This project,
lead by ICOM, in partnership with a selected group of international
organizations will address disaster prevention and response world
wide on a regional basis. The scope of this project is vast, which
will require a significant amount of coordination and planning,
particularly in the preliminary stages.
There are three main goals to this project.
1. Develop awareness, expertise and provide practical training
in emergency prevention and response for museums throughout the
world on a regional basis.
2. Create multi-disciplinary "emergency response teams"
that can act as advisors and emergency responders to disasters on
a regional basis.
3. Develop regional "train the trainer" courses to ensure
emergency prevention and response expertise is perpetuated within
local communities.
The Project Phases are:
Phase I (Year 1, 2003): "Pilot Project" Regional Emergency
Preparedness Training Workshop
Phase II (Years 2,3 and 4): Regional Training Workshops
Phase III (Year 5): Regional multi-disciplinary "Emergency
Response Teams".
Phase IV (Year 5): Regional "Train the Trainer" Workshops.
Taj Mahal Conservation
(Project Manager: François LeBlanc)
In India, the government agency responsible for the care and restoration
of national historic monuments and sites is the Archaeological Survey
of India. It is responsible for thousands of
monuments and sites. It employs more than 1,300 professional employees
and thousands of workers. The task is immense and the financial
resources are scarce.
Recently, the Ministry of Culture has decided to begin a new initiative.
It decided to team up with carefully selected private sector companies
and foundations to further the restoration of a small group of important
historic monuments and sites.
On June 21, 2001, the Archaeological Survey of India, the National
Culture Fund and the Tata Group of Companies through the Indian
Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) signed a major agreement to undertake
the "conservation, restoration, upgrade and beautification
of the Taj Mahal and the surrounding areas"
The Archaeological Survey of India
Under this agreement, the Archaeological Survey of India maintains
the full responsibility and control for the management and execution
of the restoration work for the projects identified and described
in the Agreement.
The Tata Group of Companies
The Tata Group of Companies is one of the most important corporate
groups in India. It owns and operates a wide variety of companies.
The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is the entity that signed
the agreement on behalf of the Tata Group of Companies. Under the
Agreement, it is responsible for financing the restoration work
identified for the Taj Mahal and for gathering a group of “global”
experts to review and comment on the proposed restoration work.
The National Culture Fund
The National Culture Fund is an entity created by the government
of India to encourage and facilitate private sector donations that
are 100% tax deductible. The funds for the restoration projects
of the Taj Mahal will rest with this agency and it will pay the
bills and audit the project.
The Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative
To fulfill its responsibilities, the Indian Hotels Company Limited
created The Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative. It is a small
group of professionals who will ensure that the project moves along
smoothly and meets all objectives. This Collaborative organized
the first Workshop of Experts to review the projects proposed by
the Archaeological Survey of India.
The Workshop gathered experts and managers from the Archaeological
Survey of India and conservation professionals from India selected
by IHCL. The Getty Conservation Institute was invited to participate
as an expert institution. Other workshops and activities are scheduled
for fiscal 2003
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