About Us
The preservation of cultural heritage is of utmost importance to our society. It serves not only as a means of sustainable resource utilisation but also as an authentic testament to our past and identity. The primary objective is to conduct research and preserve the materiality of art and cultural heritage. By generating knowledge in this field, we aim to enhance the value of these works.
Art and cultural heritage encompass a wide range of materials and their expressive forms, including web art, film, music and more. The Institute Materiality in Art and Culture focuses on investigating the materiality of these art forms and their modes of expression.
Why?
Art and cultural heritage are integral to the identity of our society. The preservation of these works and the dissemination of knowledge about them lie at the heart of our research. In order to address the complexities of materiality in art and culture, we employ an interdisciplinary approach that goes beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.
What?
Our research revolves around the materials used in art and cultural heritage. In other words, we pose questions such as: What materials make up a work of art? How do these materials evolve and change over time, and what implications does this have for the preservation of cultural artefacts? Additionally, we explore how material skills can be imparted and cultivated within art and culture.
Who?
Committed to the principles of inter- and transdisciplinarity, our Institute’s research team consists of experts from diverse specialist disciplines and areas of application in conservation science and restoration practice. This includes professionals with expertise in chemistry, physics, geology, archaeology and art history.
How?
Our research activities are funded by the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), the Innosuisse – Swiss Innovation Agency, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and various private foundations. Our institute benefits from access to exceptional infrastructure and resources, including the Art Technological Laboratory with its state-of-the-art analytical instruments and the HKB Mediothek, which houses a vast collection of literature on materials and art science.
For whom?
The preservation of art and cultural heritage is a social responsibility that compels us to safeguard and enhance both the works themselves and the knowledge surrounding them. By doing so, we ensure that future generations can access and appreciate them.
The close collaboration with the division of Conservation and Restoration facilitates the transfer of findings from our research directly into our teaching. This ensures that students can benefit from our research and teaching programs. Additionally, professionally active conservators, restorers, artists and scientists have the opportunity to engage with the research results through further training courses. To promote accessibility, we also publish our findings, making research results widely available.
Partnerships
Preserving art and cultural heritage necessitates the expertise of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research teams. This commitment is evident in our partnerships, which span across academic fields such as natural sciences, humanities, engineering and craft enterprises:
Swiss Institute for Art Research SIK-ISEA
The long-standing collaboration between the laboratories of SIK-ISEA and HKB is governed by a cooperation agreement that facilitates art technological research within the laboratories.
University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland SUPSI
As a junior partner, we participate in SNSF projects at SUPSI, complementing the established relationship between teaching and research.
Paul Scherrer Institute
The Paul Scherrer Institute has been supporting our research for several years, providing advisory and instrumental assistance.
