‘Restoring in Italy’ exhibition from 12 to 15 October

Friday, 11 October 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

On the occasion of the ‘XIII week of Italian Language and Culture,’ an event which takes place every year all over the world to celebrate Italian culture, the Italian Embassy in Colombo is organising an exhibition on the art of restoration at the JDA Perera Gallery from 12 to 15 October. In fact, not only have Italian artists created some of the most beautiful and worldly renowned works of art and masterpieces of all time, they have also developed one of the finest schools of restoration in order to preserve them and trade them from generation to generation, from century to century.

The exhibition celebrates the activities of the Italian Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro (ISCR – Higher Institute for Conservation and Restoration), founded in Italy in 1939, with the aim of directing restoration activities away from the field of empirical practices towards an interdisciplinary methodology based on the integrated efforts of restorers, historians and scientific experts. For many years the ISCR has played a fundamental role in the fields of research, conservation and restoration at international level. As a permanent member of the General Council of ICCROM (International Centre for Conservation and Restoration of Monuments), it has taken part in several projects promoted by the European Commission and the UNESCO World Heritage Council, for which it is one of the privileged partners. One of ISCR’s goals in international activities is the ongoing training of technicians able to deal with the conservation and restoration problems of archaeological and historical sites, monuments, decorative complexes and movable works of art. The exhibition, to promote awareness on conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, displays 25 panels that describe restoration processes carried out by the ISCR of important UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy, such as the Tower of Pisa, the Domus Aurea in Rome, the Church of Assisi, just to mention a few. Furthermore, in order to strengthen cultural cooperation between Italy and Sri Lanka, something which has been done already last year organising the Italian Srilankan Film Festival, some panels of the Sri Lankan Department of Archaeology will also be displayed together with some restored paintings by art conservator Udaya Hewawasam to show examples of conservation activities performed in Sri Lanka. By doing so, the exhibition will provide the opportunity to confront experiences and share knowledge on the art of restoration. The exhibition will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and entrance is free of charge.