‘Even on a Mountain, there is still a road’: Reflections on Conservation in post-Conflict Afghanistan

Lecture by Dr Richard Mulholland on Thursday 4 May 2023 @6pm at the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.

Richard Mulholland is Senior Lecturer on the Conservation of Fine Art MA programme at Northumbria University. A Paper Conservator and Technical Art Historian, his research is primarily concerned with analysis of the materials, technique, and studio processes of artists from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, particularly focusing on artists’ use of modern synthetic materials in drawing.
For a number of years, Richard has also been engaged in research on the conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage collections at risk in conflict zones, particularly focused on Afghanistan. He has spent time working on site in Kabul on a number of projects funded by the British Council Cultural Protection Fund, looking at critical conservation pedagogies and carrying out education and training in collections care and conservation for colleagues in post-conflict Afghanistan.
His lecture will focus on this aspect of his work, and considers the changing status of cultural heritage in conflict zones, lessons from the past in equipping collections care staff with the right tools to respond to crises, and who needs to be part of the conversation. The lecture reflects on the success of training programmes in Afghanistan between 2018 and 2021, and on the future of cultural heritage in an increasingly fraught region.

This lecture is organised by the Irish National Committee of Blue Shield (INCBS) in collaboration with ICOM Ireland.