RestART Beirut is hosting three Swiss experts from the University of Art and Applied Sciences of the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland (SUPSI) from 26 September to 2 October for an expert mission on the restoration and conservation of Sursock Palace (Beirut). This mission aims to assess the damage following the explosion of 4 August 2020 and to identify the skills and know-how needed for the restoration campaign. It is also planned to develop an exchange programme between the Swiss university and Lebanese universities in the field of restoration.
Since 4 August 2020, spontaneous and simultaneous initiatives between Lebanon and Switzerland have been organised. Thus, RestART Beirut was created to assist in its particular field of restoration and conservation of collections and foster the artistic ecosystem by bringing together traditional and contemporary approaches.
As part of the King Baudouin Foundation, RestART Beirut enjoys the high patronage of Europa Nostra (European Federation for Cultural Heritage). The first project of RestART Beirut concerns the rehabilitation of the Sursock Palace collections.
As the Sursock Palace is a private property, RestART Beirut participated in the support and guidance of its owners to create the foundation that will carry the project of transforming it into a cultural centre, including a private museum open to the public.
In this context, the Swiss university SUPSI was identified as the first partner to carry out the expert mission on decorative surfaces.
As Switzerland offers a diversity of expertise in conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, a partnership with the Swiss Embassy seemed obvious. In addition, Switzerland has distributed more than CHF 6 million in its immediate response to the terrible explosion, mainly focused on education and health.
This mission is the first phase of a longer-term project. It is planned to develop an exchange programme to involve students in internships and summer schools. This perspective of bilateral exchange between Swiss and Lebanese universities will be beneficial for all in a complementary way.
Aware of the complex political, economic and health context, RestART Beirut, through its collaboration, wishes to contribute to the collective efforts.
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