COLOURS project workshop

In Ljubljana today, May 12, 2026, a workshop of the COLOURS project is taking place, aimed at presenting advanced digital tools to support the conservation and restoration professions. The event, connected with the general assembly of E.C.C.O., provided participants with direct insight into the development of solutions that combine professional knowledge, scientific data, and digital efficiency.

What if we could virtually test a conservation-restoration strategy before performing an intervention on a work of art? This very question was one of the starting points of the workshop of the COLOURS project, which took place on 12 May 2026 at the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia in Ljubljana. The workshop was intended for conservators-restorers who gathered in Ljubljana during the general assembly of the E.C.C.O., and presented the possibilities that advanced digital tools open up for the future of the profession.

Participants were introduced to the COLOURS-ECCCH Community of Practice and the set of digital tools being developed to bridge the gap between conservation-restoration expertise and modern digital solutions. The tools enable advanced visualization of research data, display of status maps on high-resolution 2D and 3D models, predictive simulations for virtual verification of conservation-restoration strategies, and documentation based on the FAIR principles, linked to a cloud repository for more efficient knowledge sharing.

The workshop was not only designed as a presentation of technological solutions, but also as a space for exchanging experiences and the needs of the profession. Participants were invited to share challenges they encounter in their daily work with the development team and help identify bottlenecks and gaps in interoperability. Such a collaborative approach enables digital tools to be developed in close dialogue with users and the actual needs of the conservator-restoration practice.

The COLOURS project develops advanced, yet user-friendly tools for color analysis, data visualization of research studies, modeling and simulation of the gradual aging of colored or polychrome objects, and the digital restoration of their original appearance. The solutions are created within collaborative work environments for conservation-restoration in the cloud on the Cultural Heritage Cloud platform, developed by ECHOES.

The workshop was organized by COLOURS, RI and the Restorers' Center of the ZVKDS. The event represents an important step towards greater integration of the conservator-restorer profession with digital practices, which will increasingly support research, documentation, planning, and the execution of interventions on cultural heritage in the future.