Preserving Icons: International Cooperation and Conservation Excellence at Angkor and and Koh Ker, Cambodia

Join World Monuments Fund and Villa Albertine for a discussion delving into the extensive efforts to preserve Angkor Archaeological Park and Koh Ker

The third installment in the Heritage Speaks series will spotlight Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park and Koh Ker, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, and the cutting-edge efforts undertaken to preserve and restore these historic landmarks.

Art historians, conservators, and archaeologists will illuminate issues the sites face, including natural erosion and looting, and the challenges in creating a balanced tourism system. Since 1989, WMF has been involved at the site, partnering with the Cambodian government to help build local technical capacity to aid restoration efforts throughout the park.  

Over the years, teams from across the globe have worked tirelessly to safeguard these architectural and historical treasures, while educational initiatives and cultural programs aim to provide visitors with a comprehensive understanding of their history and significance. As the challenge of preserving these cultural sites persists, this conversation aims to renew awareness of the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure that the legacy of the Khmer empire can be preserved for future generations.
 

Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm ET
Location: Villa Albertine Headquarters, 972 Fifth Avenue, New York, US 10075

This event is free and open to the public with an RSVP.
 

About the Speakers
 

Eric Bourdonneau

Archeologist, Ecole Française d’Extrême Orient

Éric Bourdonneau is a historian and archaeologist specializing in ancient Cambodia. Since 2007, he has been “Maître de Conférences” (Assistant Professor) at the French School of Asian Studies (EFEO) and member of the “Southeast Asia Center” laboratory (Cnrs/Inalco/Ehess). He also teaches the history and epigraphy of ancient Cambodia at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences in Paris. Head of the EFEO center in Siem Reap from 2016 to 2019 and again from summer 2024, he is leading several research programs both on Angkor and on the ancient capital of Koh Ker in collaboration with the Cambodian authorities. Since 2019 in particular, he is in charge of the restoration program of the monumental statue of the dancing Shiva at Prasat Thom in Koh Ker, in collaboration with the National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV).
 

Yves Ubelman

Co-founder and CEO of Iconem

Architect since 2006, Yves Ubelmann began his career working in the Middle East and Central Asia, where he carried out surveys of archeological sites using photogrammetry. In 2013, he founded the ICONEM start-up whose mission is to digitize endangered heritage sites around the world to ensure their transmission to future generations.
 

Yiannis Avramides

Senior Director of Programs, World Monuments Fund

Yiannis Avramides is the Senior Director of Programs at World Monuments Fund in New York, where he focuses on the practical aspects of heritage conservation, including project development and management and the internal administration of the Programs department. In his role, he supports the development and implementation of strategies that enhance the conservation of built heritage, working closely with a variety of stakeholders to ensure effective outcomes. Yiannis has led the World Monuments Watch program, the organization’s nomination-based program that connects local heritage preservation to global awareness and action, and he has participated in conservation field projects at sites that span the globe, including Cambodia, France, Greece, Haiti, the Old City of Jerusalem, and others. He earned a BSE in Civil Engineering and Architecture from Princeton University in 2008 and an MS in Historic Preservation from Columbia University in 2010.
 

Darlene McCloud

Executive Vice President, World Monuments Fund

Darlene McCloud, who joined WMF in 2012, directs WMF’s programs in China and Japan.  She previously served as Vice President for Development. Ms. McCloud led the effort to protect Times Square for the Municipal Art Society, founded the first field office for the Land Trust Alliance for New York State, and served as President of the Preservation League of New York State. She was the Vice President for Development for the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts and Director of Advancement for Florida Gulf Coast University. She is a graduate of Florida State University and earned her M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University.

World Monuments Fund's work at Angkor Archaeological Park has been made possible, in part, by support from the U.S. Department of State; the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) and U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh; The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust; The Ralph E. Ogden Foundation; The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc.; The Estate of Margo Leavin; The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston; American Express; The DM Foundation; The Starr Foundation; International Music and Art Foundation; Mrs. Betty Wold Johnson and Mr. Douglas Bushnell; Wendy and Robert Brandow; Eleanor Briggs; Christopher and Priscilla Brewer; Samuel C. Miller and Rosetta A. Miller; The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation; Denise Gwyn Ferguson; Carnegie Corporation of New York; Isambard Kingdom Brunel Society of North America/Mr. and Mrs. Peter Norton; Donald I. Perry; Peter W. Davidson and Drew McGhee; Selma Ertegün; Tianaderrah Foundation / Nellie and Robert Gipson; Virginia James; The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts; The Estate of John Dennis; Pamela and David B. Ford; Gillian Fuller; Nora McNeely Hurley and Manitou Fund; Samuel H. Kress Foundation; and Peter Spry-Leverton.