A look back at the 2025 Conference of Conservator-Restorers in Olomouc

The 33rd annual Conference of Conservator-Restorers took place on September 9–11, 2025, in Olomouc. The main organizers of the conference were once again the Methodological Center for Conservation of the Technical Museum in Brno and the Czech Association of Museums and Galleries – Commission of Conservator-Restorers, in cooperation with the Museum of Art Olomouc and the Faculty of Education of Palacký University in Olomouc, which provided a comfortable lecture hall for the event. The conference was officially opened by Gina Renotiére, Deputy Director of the Museum of Art Olomouc and Chair of the Czech Committee of ICOM, Petra Šobáňová, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Education at Palacký University in Olomouc, Irena Chovančíková, chairwoman of the Czech Association of Museums and Galleries and director of the Masaryk Museum in Hodonín, Jan Holovský, director of the Department of Museums and Galleries of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, and Ivo Štěpánek, director of the Technical Museum in Brno and chairman of the AMG Commission of Conservator-Restorers. All speakers emphasized the importance of improving the care of cultural heritage objects, the need to present and discuss exemplary conservation-restoration interventions, the results of related research and assistance in crisis situations, as well as the training of museum staff for more effective communication and cooperation with conservator-restorers.

The program included 24 expert lectures, organized into blocks according to material specializations, moderated by members of the Committee and Council of the AMG Commission of Conservator-Restorers and other experts. Thirty-six lectures were presented in a separate poster section. The introductory lectures were devoted to the extraordinary Archa I project – a mobile workplace for the protection of library collections, which was organized by the National Library in cooperation with the Czech ICOM Committee and other private supporters of the project directly in Kiev. Jitka Neoralová, a restorer at the National Library, shared her experiences of training Ukrainian librarians and her authentic experiences of everyday measures in a war zone. Her colleagues followed up on this presentation with a summary of their findings on the mass drying of archives after the flood in Jeseník in 2024.

This was followed by presentations on modern methods of researching and treating historical materials, such as X-ray radiography and computed tomography, 3D digitization, and the use of plasma or hydrogels for cleaning paper. However, knowledge of traditional craftsmanship and historical restoration methods still has a firm place in this field. This topic was the subject of a lecture to a critical evaluation of approaches to the radical restoration and exhibition of Great Moravian jewelry during the 1970s. The issue of the restoration of the wrought-iron sculptures on the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc was also mentioned, which resonated with current events surrounding this important cultural monument. A comprehensive conservation and restoration intervention was presented on the sword of Jan of Rottal, including a detailed multi-material and technological survey, gentle cleaning, stabilization, and adjustment in a museum display case directly at the Castle in Holešov. A number of other lectures were given – on the restoration of tomb ceramics, wax seals, wet archaeological wood, and sculptures of Czech monarchs. Most of the presentations were made available in the form of online peer-reviewed articles on the website of the journal Forum for Conservator-Restorers and were also published in a special printed issue of the journal.

The professional meeting also included an excursion to important monuments and exhibitions of the Archdiocesan Museum, including St. Wenceslas Cathedral, the Museum of Art Olomouc, the Olomouc Museum of History, and the Olomouc Transport Company depot. The conference also included a plenary meeting of the AMG Commission of Conservator-Restorers, attended by 103 members (out of a total of 274).
The contribution and quality of the conference is confirmed by the increasing interest of participants, which reached a record number of 356 this year. We would like to thank all co-organizers and other supporters – the Faculty of Education of Palacký University Olomouc, the Czech Association of Museums and Galleries, the Czech Committee of ICOM, and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, as well as all companies for their sponsorship contributions. On behalf of the organizers, I would like to conclude by expressing my special thanks to all my colleagues from the Museum of Art Olomouc and the Archdiocesan Museum for their professional and friendly welcome, as well as their willingness and helpfulness in meeting all organizational requirements, which greatly contributed to the success of the entire event.

Alena Selucká
on behalf of the entire conference organizing team