International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics

Plovdiv – Bulgaria, 2022

 Conserving Mosaics in a Changing Environment: Challenges and Opportunities

The 14th Conference of the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics was held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, October 24-28, 2022, at the invitation of Plovdiv Municipality.

The conference was organized by the ICCM Foundation and the Plovdiv Municipality with the support of the Ancient Plovdiv and Balkan Heritage organisations, the Getty Foundation, the Getty Conservation Institute, the J. M. Kaplan Fund and Fulbright Bulgaria.

Conference theme

Cultural heritage is increasingly exposed to threats related to rapidly changing physical, socio-economic, political and cultural currents around the world. Climate change and related natural disasters, reduced financial recourses contributing to neglect and under-funding, rapid urbanization, and geopolitical conflicts are affecting cultural heritage at an alarming rate. Heritage professionals seek new approaches and effective strategies to mitigate the pressure and the negative impact of change at a regional, national and international setting, and to conserve and ensure the protection of important objects, collections and sites.

In its 14th Triennial Conference, ICCM explored the conservation of mosaics in a changing world, focusing on both the challenges with which heritage professionals are confronted with, as well as the new opportunities that might arise from these settings. Programme encompassed several thematic areas:

• Conservation and management of mosaics in situ
• Mosaics in a new context: museum and storage collections
• Shelters on archaeological sites
• Mosaics in urban environments
• Mosaics in conflict zones
• Modern and communist era mosaics

In addition, the following sub-themes were addressed:

• Methods of survey and documentation
• Conservation and management of mosaics
• Presentation and display
• Education and training
• Best practice case studies

Pre-conference photogrammetry workshop

As a pre-conference event, ICCM organised a two-day Photogrammetry Workshop on 22–23 October 2022, at the Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis in Plovdiv. Led by Laurentiu-Marian Angheluta, with the contribution of Anjo Weichbrodt, the workshop focused on the application of photogrammetry for the 3D digitisation and documentation of mosaic surfaces. It combined theoretical instruction with practical demonstrations and hands-on exercises involving ancient and modern mosaics in Plovdiv.