Register for our next Socratic Dialogue on the philosophy behind conservation code of ethics
Led by IIC Fellow, Dr Bill Wei, and Dr Lisa Giombini, our next Dialogue will be held on Wednesday 8 May 2024 at 12.00pm BST.
Free and exclusive to IIC Individual, Pathway to Fellowship and Fellow members
In this fourth of a series of workshops, on the philosophy behind conservation codes of ethics, we will investigate the notion of the ‘integrity’ in general, and then more specifically, what the phrase “integrity of an object” means as mentioned in a number of codes of ethics, and what it means in conservation practice.
What is a Socratic Dialogue?
A Socratic dialogue is a structured form of dialogue in which all participants actively contribute.
"The creation of a free space requires active participation and discipline - with the goal to listen to one another."
The Socratic method provides a safe, open environment for participants to investigate what the essence is behind their own points of view as well as those of others about the topic, in this workshop, the meaning of the term ‘ethics’ as used in conservation codes of ethics. Participants may find the strict format combined with the need for mindful and specific language initially frustrating as it can be the opposite of typical debating or conversational methods, however the dialogue will be led and moderated by Dr Bill Wei, IIC Fellow, and Dr Lisa Giombini.
The Dialogues are not recorded as this is free space for participants.
Commitments
The fourth dialogue is scheduled for Wednesday 8 May at 12.00pm BST with registrations closing on Monday 29 April.
Each dialogue will be conducted in English.
Based on the format, the dialogue will last between 3.5 to 4 hours and participants are asked to attend the full dialogue.
You do not need to have participated in the previous Dialogues to take part.
Case Studies
For this round, we would again like to use a format of a Socratic dialogue which makes use of case studies. We are therefore looking for several case studies where the ‘integrity of an object’ was at stake during the conservation and conservation decision-making process. If you would be willing to offer such a case study, please note that on your registration.
Course leaders
The series is led by Dr Bill Wei, a senior conservation scientist (retired) in the Cultural Heritage Laboratory of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE). He conducts research into the effects of cleaning and treatments of objects on their appearance and viewers’ perception, as well as the effect of vibrations and mechanical stresses on the condition of fragile works of art and cultural heritage. A major area of interest is how conservation decisions are influenced by the differing perception of objects by art historians, conservation scientists, conservators, curators, directors, and other collections staff. Dr. Wei has trained as a Socratic dialogue moderator and has organized over 50 dialogues over the past eleven years.
Dr. Lisa Giombini is currently Assistant Professor in Aesthetics at the University of Roma Tre, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, and Visiting Research Fellow in Philosophy within the framework of the ‘Heritage Hub’ of the School of Humanities, University of Hertfordshire, UK. She held postdoctoral positions at Stuttgart National Academy of Fine Arts, Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), and at the University of Presov (Slovak Republic). Besides a long-term interest in the philosophy of music, Lisa works in the field of the philosophy of art conservation, the ethics of cultural heritage, and environmental and everyday aesthetics.
We do hope you decide to join us for a stimulating opportunity to stretch and challenge how you think, alongside IIC members. If you have any questions please contact Ellie Sweetnam at ellie.sweetnam@iiconservation.org
To register for the event, please see the form here