Teaching Paper Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts of Rome
Since the Academic Year 2018-19 Federica Delia has been teaching Paper Conservation at the Academy of Fine Art of Rome,. The course is active within the MA in Technology of Paper Materials.
The aim of the course is to provide basic knowledge on the conservation and restoration of paper. It is focused on the physico-chemical properties and the paper interactions with the surrounding environment. Principal treatments are explained and shown to the students, who are guided in choosing suitable materials. Demonstrations illustrate how to carry out the conservation intervention and to mount works of art on paper with different methods. Specific attention is addressed to the causes of deterioration and their resulting effects on paper supports and graphic media. The goal is to investigate permanence and durability of materials used in the production of contemporary paper artworks.
Course programme:
- theory of conservation
- brief history of paper and its making
- European and Oriental tradition, ancient and modern paper: different features in comparison
- paper cultures and itineraries, tools and raw materials
- paper artifacts (books, documents, prints, photographs, etc.)
- other writing supports (papyrus, parchment, leather, etc.)
- paper chemistry and technology
- paper deterioration
- preventive conservation
- housing and storage
- emergency management and preparedness
- conservation treatments
- solvents and adhesives
- paper for conservation
- conservation mounting for exhibition
- practical laboratory training
- visits to museum, archival or library collections and to paper conservation laboratories
The School of the Italian Ministry of Culture
More recently, Federica Delia teaches conservation methods and techniques at the Istituto centrale per la patologia degli archivi e del librohttps://icpal.beniculturali.it/ (ICPAL). The School of ICPAL offers a high level education course in the field of archival and library materials, works on paper and parchment, photography and film (percorso formativo professionalizzante – PFP5). The five-year course is certified by the Ministry of Culture and it is valid for the acquisition of the title of “Conservator of cultural heritage”.
Federica has been professor of paper conservation for the academic year 2021-22 and professor of parchment conservation for the year 2022-23.
