Shared Capacity of Korean Conservation Technology for Indonesian Cultural Heritage

2024 On-site Technical Training Program for Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Indonesia

The Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center of NRICH conducted the “2024 On-site Technical Training Program” for Indonesian conservators from April 24 to May 2 at the Borobudur Conservation Office, Indonesia.

The On-site Technical Training Program (OTTP) is a customized initiative training of conservation technology for cultural heritage in the Asian region with limited conservation and management infrastructure.

Continuous Requests of ACPCS Alumni

This 2024 OTTP in Indonesia, scheduled for 2023 and 2024, has been planned and carried out based on requests from Indonesian ACPCS (Asia Cooperation Program on Conservation Science) participants for metal conservation of cultural heritage.Held at the Borobudur Conservation Office, the training covered surface consolidatiion and conservation treatment of gilt-bronze and bronze cultural heritage; application and utilization of non- destructive investigation on manufacturing techniques; and consultations to promote continuous cooperaton in the future. The two-week program focused on wax coating of metal artifacts in the first week and conservation of excavated metalwork in the second week. Wax coating training in the first week aimed to prevent corrosion by blocking rust from forming on the metal due o external factors, combining theories on conservation of outdoor metal artifacts with hands-on practices.The training in the 2nd week continued with metalwork conservation, using prepared samples of copper plates for excavated artifacts. Participants simulated conditions of excavation sites, practicing the removal of gauze from copper surfaces, followed by cleaning and restoration procedures.The commitment of Indonesian researchers and conservators to preserving their cultural heritage was inspiring. And furthermore, it was the opportunity for the Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center of NRICH to share conservation technology with them and expect to move forward on a global level.