Textiles are over 5 000 years old and common to all civilizations, past and present. A rich and diverse living heritage that comprises a multitude of materials, techniques, and shapes. Besides being a fascinating testimony of humankind’s ingenuity, textiles provide exceptional opportunities for the heritage sector to nurture innovation, promote respect for diversity, and public engagement. Textile production, trading, and conservation are inter-related topics that bring together multiple influences and areas of knowledge, providing a valuable medium for social cohesion and promotion of sustainable development. They encompass important overlapping aspects of tangible and intangible heritage, nature and culture, traditional knowledge and state-of-the-art research. Time is ripe for rethinking how we approach textile conservation. Simply safeguarding collections can no longer be our final goal. Conservation has to grow into an effective means to promote and sustain the realization of the full potential of our textile heritage.
The webinar organized by our colleagues from ICCROM, will bring together a diverse group of international panelists to share their views and experience on this topic. Their case studies include the journey of archaeological textiles from excavation to conservation, research, and community-based activities in China; the revitalization of India’s ‘Rafoo’ traditional culture of repair; the development of new digital tools in Europe to support creative industries taking inspiration from textile collections; and the role of conservation in the evolution and transformation of the Maya textile tradition in Guatemala.
Moderator
- José Luiz Pedersoli Jr, ICCROM
Panelists
- Zhao Feng, Director, China National Silk Museum
- Rini Hazel Templeton, Research Assistant, National Museum Institute, India
- Mar Gaitán, Research Assistant, University of Valencia, Spain
- Barbara Knoke de Arathoon, Associate Investigator, Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress, Guatemala
Link to the webinar
Join us on 25 November 2021. Registration is mandatory and FREE.
https://iccrom-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1sZ19Fh_Tfi-7O6CexDNBQ