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A talk in Portugal

Lisbon, March 2017 – On the 9th of March the Italian Cultural Institute in Lisbon invited my colleague Barbara Cattaneo and me for a presentation on the conservation of paper and photographs along with Luis Pavao, one of the pioneers of photograph conservation in Portugal.

It was a pleasure to meet him and all the participants, to share and compare practice and principles of conservation at international level.
Moreover, we could visit Luis Pavao amazing conservation lab, where he also hosts professionals for trainings and interships.

In the pictures: a flyer of the conference; me and Barbara getting ready for the presentation; visiting the photographic conservation lab of Luis Pavao; Lisbon.

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Learning Papermaking in South Korea

Seoul, December 2016 – I recently came back from South Korea where I have attended the workshop on Hanji paper making for foreign specialists held by the Korean Craft & Design Foundation.
My colleagues and I could personally try the Oebal and Ssangbal traditional Korean technique and make our sheet under the expert supervision of very skilful Korean masters.

In the pictures: masters making paper with the oebal technique; the master and me; the group of participants, Korean tutors, teachers and govern representatives.

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Re-ORG Conference in Bruxelles

Brussels, October 2016 – Brussels is not far from Amsterdam so I decided to take the chance to attend the RE-ORG seminar on the 29th and the 30th of September.
Lots of ideas and enthusiasm after the final brain-storming!

To know more about the ICCROM RE-ORG project, please visit the following websites:

In the picture: the group of participants.

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ICOM-CC PMWG Triennal Conference 2016

Amsterdam, September 2016 – Last week I was in Amsterdam for the ICOM-CC Photographic Materials Working Group Triennal Conference 2016 at the Rijksmuseum.
In the poster session of the conference my colleague Barbara Cattaneo and I presented our reasearch on the physical and aesthetic properties of Hanji and its usefulness in the field of the conservation of photographic prints.

To download a copy of the poster just click here.

Also, a few days before the event we could visit the wonderful Impossible Project factory in Eschede (Netherlands), where instant photography is still alive…

In the pictures: the group of participants; my conference pass; the beginning of the conference; visit to the Impossible Project factory.

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Festival of Travel Writing

Rome, September 2016 – In occasion of the IX edition of the Festival of Travel Writing to be held from the 22nd to the 25th of September at the Italian Geographical Society in Villa Celimontana in Rome, I am helping in the installation and mounting of several exhibitions.
The Festival has a rich program of events and is usually attended by a vast audience of travelers, writers, journalists and curious enthusiasts.

In the pictures: visitors at the entrance of the exhibition in 2015; visitors in the reading room of the Italian Geographical Society; Elizabeth Chatwin looking at Antonio Politano’s photographs.

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A pleasant discovery in Istanbul

Istanbul, August 2016 – Last week I could visit the paper conservation lab of Serendip Restorasyon in Istanbul and discuss with them about paper and photograph conservation, sharing our knowledge and skills at international level. Indeed a great experience, thank you!
I really hope that we will have the opportunity to meet again soon…
Stay tuned for updates on the topic!

In the pictures: Sükrü Oral and me evaluating some tools; me looking at a photograph; a nice group of people from Italy, Turkey and Pakistan at dinner; the city of Istanbul.

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The National Museum of Oman

Muscat, March 2016 – Last month I could spend three weeks in the Sultanate of Oman working as a conservator for the National Museum of Oman in Muscat.
Me and other three Italian colleagues have been part of a mission lead by the Italian company Regoli & Radiciotti for the conservation and preservation of Western and Islamic volumes, printed books (XIX-XX cent.) and manuscripts (XVII cent.), belonging to the Museum collection.

In the pictures: Abdullah and a group of colleagues; Wadi Shab; Seifa Lagoon; the Grand Mosque of Muscat.

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The Hanji Korean Mulberry Paper Project

Rome, January 2015 – In Asia, Hanji has been used in book and paper conservation since ever but its use amongst European conservators is scarcely documented. The present work will contribute toward a better comprehension of this material, of its mechanical features, its durability and possible applications in the conservation of paper based items.

Within the Group 130, composed by ten paper, book and photo mid-career professional conservators winners of the Hanji Award, my colleagues and I will investigate the particular features of Hanji paper and will evaluate its applicability in the conservation of a range of historical and artistic items in the form of book, graphic art and photograph. Mechanical reaction of Hanji paper to stress and its resistance to wear & tear will be evaluated through its use in conjunction with different materials, e.g. baritate photographic supports, vellum, tanned leather book structures.

Until now presentations of the work took place at the ICON Conference Adapt&Evolve in London in April 2015, at the Vatican Museums in Rome in May 2015, in Milan in June 2015 and in Turin in December 2015.

We will present the results of Hanji application in photograph conservation at the ICOM-CC Photographic Materials Working Group Interim Meeting to be held at Rijksmuseum Amsterdam in September 2016.

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Visiting Julia Margaret Cameron’s exhibitions in London

London, January 2015 – Today along with my colleague Barbara Cattaneo I could attend a conference on Julia Margaret Cameron and visit the beautiful exhibitions at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum in London.
She was a pioneer in photography, the first woman in the field. Certainly her character, her art and her skills in the wet collodion process are an inspiration for everyone who attempts reproducing this technique nowadays!

In the pictures: Julia, Barbara and me; the Millennium Bridge; the river Thames.