Workshop Approaches to Arts, Conservation and Cultural Heritage

Following on an exploratory meeting held earlier this year, in June 2013 researchers from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of Maastricht University, the Sociaal Historisch Centrum Limburg, Jaar van de Mijnen, the Municipality of Maastricht, and other societal partners convened on the topic of arts, conservation and cultural heritage. The aim of the workshop was to further discuss parallel and intersecting areas of research and common grounds in the research that is currently conducted in this field. Over 20 participants presented their research in domains ranging from conservation of monuments, contemporary art, home videos, to language cultures, and nature sites.

Each session was followed by a lively discussion on reoccurring themes, such as recent changes in conservation practices and ethics, the construction of authenticity and ways to study this, and the changing role of technology and expertise in the making and use of heritage. One of the highlights was a guided tour through the workshop’s venue; former beer brewery De Keyzer - one of Maastricht’s many hidden industrial heritage treasures.