Meaningful Objects: Reflections on the Nature of Cultural Heritage Conservation

Lecture by Salvador Muñoz-Viñas

Description

The classical conservation discourse argues that the primary aim of conservation is returning objects to their original condition, or as close to it as technically possible. However, the conservation of cultural heritage is a much more complex activity, involving many different factors and goals. Perhaps the most important of these goals, or even its ultimate goal, is to make the objects transmit meanings that are better suited to the tastes and needs of the society or group for which the work is done. This view allows for a better, fairer approach to this activity and shows that, no less than many other human activities, conservation is better understood if seen as a balancing act.

Program

​4 November 2025, 19.00