From 11-15 July 2016, the fifteen PhD researchers involved in the NACCA (New Approaches in the Conservation of Contemporary Art) project met for their second training event hosted by the University of Amsterdam (UvA).
As with each of the scheduled events, the week’s teaching content was curated to complement the students’ current position in their research trajectories. In line with the diverse backgrounds and focus of the PhD candidates, the training programme covered a medley of topics, including an introduction to UM’s model of Problem Based Learning; the process of artist’s interviews; research ethics; and various insights into documentation methods. The group was able to attend behind-the-scene tours of the conservation studios at the Stedelijk Museum and Rijksmuseum as well as the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency laboratories. Moreover, they were privileged to receive guest lectures from a number of experts in the field, including Maarten van Bommel, UVA; Gunnar Heydenreich of Cologne University of the Arts and Joanna Philips from the Guggenheim Museum in New York; Gaby Wijers of LiMA; and Erma Hermens and Robert van Langh of the Rijksmuseum, to name just a few.
The week concluded with a presentation by Dušan Barok and Julia Noordegraaf, UvA, in which they announced the launch of the NACCA project database and website, part of Dušan’s own PhD project.
For more information about NACCA, contact the project manager Sarah Melker.
Iona Goldie-Scot
