Colossal Pharaoh's Head Unearthed in Egypt
Archaeologists working at Luxor have unearthed the colossal head of Amenhotep III in the ruins of his mortuary temple. WMF has been supporting work at the temple, placed on the 1998 and 2004 Watch lists, since 2004 to document and conserve this once-rich site threatened primarily by rising groundwater, a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s. WMF supported site drainage, which has alleviated some of the groundwater problems but made it more urgent to excavate and conserve sculpture lying near the surface, which is impregnated with corrosive salts. |
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Watch Update: Comoros Islands' Celebration
Comoros Islanders recently celebrated the inclusion of Ujumbe Palace on the 2010 Watch. The 18th-century palace, in Mutsamudu, has been decaying for years, but the Collective of the Heritage of the Comoros, the nominator of the site to the Watch, has just received a grant from UNESCO and is optimistic about prospects for additional funds, given the international attention generated by the Watch listing.
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Work Progresses on Monza Chapel WMF Europe President Bertrand du Vignaud spoke at a January press conference in Monza, Italy, about ongoing restoration work at Theodelinda's Chapel in Monza Cathedral, where we have been working since 2007. Du Vignaud discussed the completion of the recent phase of work, which included an ultraviolet and infrared photographic survey on specific test zones in order to better develop the painting analysis. The next phase of work--the development of a restoration methodology--has recently begun. |
WMF Mission in Haiti
WMF
has teamed up with ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments and
Sites, to lead the coordinating committee for cultural heritage
recovery following the Haiti earthquake. Two missions have been
conducted to assess damage to historic structures in Jacmel and Port-au-Prince.
Their advice is helping property owners oppose demolition of historic
properties that have not been badly damaged, but are in areas slated
for clearance and reconstruction. WMF is also providing technical
assistance to HELP (Haitian Education
& Leadership Program), the group that nominated the Gingerbread Houses of
Port-au-Prince to the 2010 Watch. |
WMF Work Featured in NYC WMF's traveling exhibition, Modernism at Risk: Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks, is on view at the AIA New York Center for Architecture (CFA)
through May 1. In conjunction with the exhibition,
the New York City Center for Architecture is hosting a panel
discussion on March 11 from 6 to 8 pm about the fate of Paul Rudolph's
Chorley Elementary School in Middletown, NY, recently slated for
demolition. Fred Bernstein, an architecture writer and regular
contributor to The New York Times, will moderate. Find out more.
Treasures along the Route of Santiago de Compostela in Castilla y León is on view at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute (QSSI) through April 12. A
collaboration between WMF, the regional Spanish government of Castilla
y León, and the QSSI, the exhibition highlights several WMF sites, including the Cartuja de Miraflores Monastery, the Collegiata de Toro, the Roman aqueduct in Segovia, as well as two 2010 Watch sites: the Old Town of Avila and the route of Santiago de Compostela. |
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WMF Britain's New Stowe Video WMF Britain recently released a new video on the ongoing restoration work on the Eastern Pavilion of the great Stowe House in England.
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Talk at Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in NYC
The Queen Sofia Spanish Institute (QSSI) in New York is hosting a lecture in conjunction with our exhibition on the route of Santiago de Compostela.
On
March 22 at 6 pm, Ron Street, Molding Studio Supervisor at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, will speak on "Gil de Siloé's Saint
James: The Making of a Facsimile." Siloé's statue of St. James once
adorned the tomb of John II and Isabella in the Cartuja de Miraflores
Monastery near Burgos, Spain. Now it is in the collection of the MMA at
the Cloisters. WMF facilitated the scanning and reproduction of the
statue. Following the exhibition, the replica of the statue will be
sent to the monastery in Spain.
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