Exploring Collections: Cross-Disciplinary Approaches in Art Technological Research

For the past twenty years, the ICOM-CC Working Group Art Technological Source Research has played a crucial role in strengthening the position of Technical Art History as a fundamental field in the study and preservation of our cultural heritage. Since the beginning, this Working Group has been addressing the questions of the nature, eligibility and processing of sources.

Collections are typically seen as curated assemblages of cultural, historical, artistic and scientific objects that are systematically gathered, preserved, and studied, particularly within traditional museum settings. There has also been an increasing focus on collections of archival materials, artists' materials and historical reconstructions found in academic, research and conservation facilities. These serve as invaluable resources for art technological research, offering insights into the materials, techniques, practices and diverse contexts of the heritage objects. However, the concept of collections can extend beyond traditionally curated assemblages and encompass informal, private and non-systematically organised groups of objects, technical art materials and chemical compounds, including those in personal archives, historical sites, industrial companies and even digital collections. By considering these various types of collections and their contexts, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their value as sources for art technological research and enrich our knowledge of heritage objects.

This interim meeting aims to explore the notion of collections and how it may expand the scope of art technological source research. We invite contributions from researchers, including art and science historians, scientists, curators, conservators, and others, who are investigating collection objects using art technological source research methods as well as those applying or seeking to apply these to access and uncover the art technological potential of previously overlooked groups of objects. These may be of any time period, technique, material, geographical or cultural context. We welcome research dedicated to extra-European practices. Suggested topics include:

- Archival sources from museum institutions, science institutes, industrial companies (suppliers and manufacturers of artists' materials), and digital datasets.

- Collections of objects, texts, recipes, artists' materials, historical reconstructions, chemicals, etc., from public or private institutions,

- Art technological case studies linking different kinds of collections,

- Methodologies of art technological source research.

Hosted at the NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal, from 22-23 May 2025, we are thrilled to welcome all members of the Art Technological Source Research Working Group and those actively engaged or interested in art technological source research. Additionally, on May 21, Art Technological Source Research workshops will be available for attendees of the meeting.

If you would like to present a contribution at the Art Technological Source Research Interim Meeting, please submit an abstract of up to 500 words in English by email to atsr10@fct.unl.pt in either PDF or Docx format. The abstract must include the title, author(s) name(s) and contact information, and the main body of the abstract. While a short list of references may be included, it is not required. Please also indicate whether you prefer to deliver an oral or poster presentation.

The submission deadline is Monday, November 18, 2024, and acceptance notifications will be sent in early January 2025.

All papers presented will be published as postprints in digital format on the ICOM-CC Publications Online Platform.

For further information, please visit the Art Technological Source Research Interim Meeting website at https://sites.google.com/fct.unl.pt/atsr2025, or contact Claire Betelu (claire.betelu@univ-paris1.fr), coordinator of the Art Technological Sourse Research Working Group.