Development and research
At IPCHS, we pay great attention to research work, which is the basis for all interventions on cultural heritage. Our research is published in reputable journals and professional publications. In addition, we try to bring our knowledge about heritage and its conservation to the public through various project tasks.
Tasks of the Development Service
It coordinates development projects, develops heritage awareness, manages promotion and education projects, publishing, gallery and exhibition activities, and international cooperation.
Research Institute (RI)
Within the Center for Conservation also the Research Institute operates. The key area of activity of the Research Institute (RI) of the IPCHS is heritage science. Heritage science is a unique, interdisciplinary science with distinctly social objectives, contributing to the conservation, documentation, interpretation and management of heritage and leading to the co-creation of knowledge. The RI's research staff therefore includes chemists, biotechnologists, a physicist and an academic restorer.
Research (RI) focuses on:
- Research and development of new or improved methods for the characterisation of cultural heritage (with emphasis on non-invasive or minimally sampled analytical methods)
- Studies on the degradation of cultural heritage materials due to environmental factors
- Research and development of preventive conservation methods and measures ("Preventive Conservation")
- Development of methods for conservation-restoration of cultural heritage (e.g. development of chemical cleaning)
- Research in art history and heritage interpretation
- Research and development of digital content (tools for digital data processing and analysis, imaging methods and presentations of cultural heritage objects)
- Raising general public awareness in the field of science and heritage (including Citizen Science research)
E-RIHS in PERION HS
The excellent international cooperation has led the Research Institute (RI) to a partnership in the E-RHIS-EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HERITAGE SCIENCE) and IPERION HS, (INTEGRATING PLATFORMS FOR THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE ON HERITAGE SCIENCE) projects. European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science ( www.e-rihs.eu ) was already included in the priority list of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures in 2016 ("ESFRI Roadmap") with an excellent rating and E-RIHS was included among the international priority projects in the field of research infrastructures when the revision of the Research Infrastructure Development Plan 2016 was adopted by the Slovenian Government.
European Heritage Days
European Heritage Days, as the name suggests, are a joint action of many European countries under the auspices of the Council of Europe and the European Commission. Almost every year, a new community joins the ranks of participants, and each year the organisers choose a different theme to showcase Europe's cultural heritage to the local public, Europeans and the world.
CHARTER
The role of the ZVKDS Restoration Centre in the project: analysis of the regional situation in the strategic analysis of cultural heritage competences and professional profiles at the EU level, elaboration of professional standards, participation in the popularisation of the project, improving the role of Slovenian cultural heritage at the international level, organisation of an international workshop in the framework of WP2 and WP3.
Research is carried out using modern research equipment adapted to the characterisation of heritage objects.
The equipment can be stationary, installed in the laboratory, and allows molecular characterisation of heritage samples (2 Raman microscopes (dispersive and FT), an infrared FTIR microscope, which also allows micro "imaging"), characterisation of organic components (also ELISA, ELASA and IFM), bio-deterioration investigations, 3D topography (laser confocal fluorescence microscope) and characterisation of light-induced degradation, of organic radicals and for the determination of transition metals (electron paramagnetic resonance system). In addition to stationary equipment, RI also has portable equipment (Raman, infrared and X-ray fluorescence spectrometers) which allows the characterisation of heritage objects without sampling at the site where they are located.
Over the years, RI has built strong and successful international collaborations.
We have worked in the field of heritage science with the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY, USA), the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute (USA) and, with successful EU projects (FP7, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe), with many institutions in the EU. We are among the leaders in Europe, as evidenced by the fact that RI has participated in EU Framework Programmes in projects with a total of €75M of European co-funding.
Heritage protect People ourselves, Experts them at here we help.
