The Istituto Centrale per il Restauro proposes a congress of reflection on the Theory of Restoration, by Cesare Brandi, a text matured through his systemisation of knowledge gained in the multidisciplinary practice of the Institute’s founding decades.

The congress, scheduled for November 2023 will document and assess the declinations of Brandi’s methodological framework, in part by means of case studies on implementation in the different fields of heritage conservation. The aim of is to discuss and comparatively verify the current vitality of Brandi’s theoretical approach, also indicating needs for updating in current practice.

The ICR therefore issues this call for abstracts, open to practitioners, scholars and experts in the field, on the following themes. Without imposing limitations, we also offer examples, searching towards specific topics:
1. Materials: scientific innovation and green materials
2. Relations of structure and presentation: archaeology, architecture, contemporary art
3. Social views of the unified image: changes in tolerance of lacunae
4. Intervention, object and time: from historic restoration to living artists
5. Intervention and the historic-aesthetic case: relations with communities & publics – heritage preservation for who
6. Place and preventive restoration: programmed conservation in the ecological transition

Abstracts are welcome in Italian or English, not later than 31 July 2023, at icr.brandi2023@cultura.gov.it, summarising the presentation topic (max. 3000 characters including spaces), together with a ‘capsule curriculum’ of the author(s) (max. 700 characters including spaces).

Accepted contributions will be announced on 15 September 2023, at which time the Scientific Committee shall communicate whether the presentation will be communicated in 20-minute in-person session or as a poster. In either case, the accepted contributions will be published