Material Science for Conservators -Bridging the Gap Between Science and Conservation-Restoration Practice

Beskrivelse

It is a long-standing challenge for conservation-restoration programmes to bridge the gap between science and hands-on practice. The difficulty is that the students have difficulties applying the chemistry and physics they learn on conservation-restoration practice. At the Royal Danish Academy, we have taken up this challenge by introducing a course in material science for conservators inspired by basic material science for engineers taught at technical universities. At our institution the students have four different specialisations related to the main museum types (natural history museums, archaeology & history museums, libraries & archives and art museums). However, material science is a joint course for all like chemistry and preventive conservation and is placed on the second semester of the bachelor study.
The first part of course is providing knowledge on chemical and physical material properties for broad material groups: Natural polymers, synthetic polymers, oils and waxes, metals, ceramics and composite materials. Questions like; What makes this material stronger that the other? are discussed and the students are provided with an explanation from molecule level, through microscopic- to macroscopic level.
This provides the students with a more solid base for understanding of the impact of museum climate, mechanical impact and conservation intervention on different material types. The second part of the course is dedicated to improving understanding of the impact of hands-on practice for all conservation-restoration specialities. Theoretical knowledge on both adhesion and solubility parameters is provided to teach the students rational interaction with materials such as surface cleaning, gluing and consolidation of materials. In the oral exam the students are asked to use their knowledge on material chemical and physical properties to explain differences and similarities between general material groups and based on materials science theory they are asked to discuss material selection for conservation-restoration process.
After 5 years of offering the course on material science for conservators we learned how to prioritize the content. More classes on cleaning, gluing and consolidation are offered and we have concluded that the students are increasingly happy with the outcome. They are provided with a vocabulary to communicate chemical and physical material properties to peers and they generally feel that the course is important for their understanding of decision making. The course provides them with a common ground as conservator-restorers even though they have very different specialities. Through the process of designing this course we professors have also obtained an improved common understanding of our mutual goals for the conservation-restoration curriculum, based on a thorough knowledge on materials. With the course in material science for conservators we wish to prepare our students to work with collection care in general and be rational and strategic about both preventive and hands-on conservation.

Periode	5 apr. 2025
Begivenhedstitel	Specialisations: Trends and Challenges in Conservation-Restoration Education
Begivenhedstype	Konference
Placering	Prag, TjekkietVis på kort
Grad af anerkendelse	International