from New Scientist
Art, but not as we know it
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Whenever artists venture into a new medium of creative expression, it is almost inevitable that conservation research and study will follow. Could it be just around the corner that cutting-edge biotechnology will also feature as a subject in the training of tomorrow's art conservators?

from San Francisco Chronicle
Tomorrow's long lost treasures
go to articles part 1, part 2, part 3

It is often with hind-sight that we lament the destruction of architecturally significant buildings, and that is the easy part of any criticism. Foretelling which amongst the currently standing buildings would be significant in time to come - and hence worthy of preservation - can be an extremely unrewarding and brooding task. It might instead be easier to approach the issue by asking a tangential question: "Can we slow the rush into hasty decisions in urban re-building if modern day buildings are built with the intention for them to be utilised for an extended period of time - much like ancient temples and cathedrals?"

from The Guardian
Form or function?
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When preservation efforts render a fully functional building - even one that is widely considered as an architectural icon - useless, then it is, at best, untenable and, at worst, irrelevant.

from The Scotsman
Another gallery show cleans up
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A brief look at an in-situ painting conservation project for the National Gallery of Scotland.

from The New York Times
An Illicit Journey Out of Egypt, Only a Few Questions Asked
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An extended article on the complex web of events surrounding the illegal removal - and eventual return - of an Egyptian funeral stele from Akhmin. This is symptomatic of a larger malaise, as a quote from the article would attest :

"People think that there is an illicit market and a legitimate market," said Ricardo J. Elia, associate professor of archaeology at Boston University and a frequent critic of the antiquities industry. "In fact, it is the same."

from The Observer
Evolution of radar points to HMS Beagle's resting place
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and
from The Herald
Military hardware saves Old Masters
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Two reports on the use of technology to aid preservation efforts. The first highlighted the attempt to locate the sunken HMS Beagle in Essex, England, using ground-penetrating radar to find plausible sites where the historic ship might be buried. The second report looked at the use of an advanced infra-red digital imaging camera to "look" under surface paint layers of artworks.

from BBC News
Traditional knowledge 'in peril'
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This report reiterated a call for the preservation of traditional knowledge by modifying an aspect of the international law on the protection of intellectual property. It is also interesting to note that the notion of the public domain, which promotes the diversity and propagation of knowledge, can be detrimental to the very survival of traditional knowledge, which is often the preserve of a ritually selected few.

from The Art Newspaper
Looters hot on the heels of the bomb disposal experts
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and
Human Rights Act invoked to demolish listed building in the UK
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and
from The Christian Science Monitor
'Pit bull' dogs Iraq Museum looters
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and
from The Wall Street Journal
Saving Iraq's Treasures
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The continuing destruction and pillage of heritage materials happen not because of a lack of national and international laws to limit such damage. Instead, it points to a failure in enforcement, education and fostering a sense of community ownership.

from The Art Newspaper
How the shark got pickled
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A behind-the-scene look at contemporary art production, at its most basic sense of actually making the finished artwork. Perhaps this might signal the establishment of more studios specialising in the execution of (large, monumental or complex) artworks - much like what an engineering company will do for the architect.

from Universes in Universe
Contemporary Art from the Islamic World
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An interesting and wide-ranging set of articles. All the more poignant and necessary because of recent events in Iraq.