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Maurizio Diana (born August 4, 1939) is an Italian geologist, physicist and painter. In his scientific research activities he is remembered particularly for his efforts in the development of technologies in the field of Cultural Heritage. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
He was born in Rome and graduated in Geology in 1964 from the University of Rome La Sapienza with a thesis on "Physical nature and size of the Earth's Core". He became a Volunteer at the chair of Seismology directed by Professor Pietro Caloi in academic years 1964–1967. [6]
Since graduation he is a researcher at the ENEA (National Committee for Nuclear Energy) in the Research Centre "Casaccia" of Rome, where he conducts research on the material damage produced by ionizing particles (Radiation Damage). At the same time he is research associate at the European Joint Research Centre: Ispra.
From 1966 he began a long line of research on the Atomic Scattering Factor of metals for the knowledge of the electronic configurations of metal elements from Titanium to Copper (3d elements) in collaboration with the Research Centre MASS (U.S. Army Materials and Mechanics Research Centre in Watertown).
In 1968, after a visit to the facilities of the reactors CEA Saclay (France) he participated in the development and construction of a neutron collimator for the development of the diagnostic systems of Neutronigraphy at the Triga Mark II reactor of the Casaccia.
In 1969 he began a research program, with practical application perspectives, on the technique of Small-Angle X-ray Scattering, as a research associate at the University of Paris-Orsay Laboratoire de Physique des Solides directed by Professor André Guinier (inventor of the "Guinier chamber"), to work at the creation of an instrument for the technique of Small Angle x-ray for high penetration. In 1971, with the same technique, he built at the laboratories of Casaccia an analysis system for the study of the size and distribution of pores in alumina filters, used for uranium enrichment. From 1972 to 1996 he was head of research at the CNEN (that then became ENEA).
In 1983 he started the activity of technology transfer to the field of Cultural Heritage, creating an innovative model for management of resources and research facilities: a selected group of experts appointed by him develop specific research and begin to offer services to the operating structures (Superintendents) of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, using the most advanced laboratories of ENEA. [7] In 1984 he coordinated the first of a long series of projects dedicated entirely to the preservation of Italian heritage: “Seismic safety of Monuments”. Subsequently, he coordinated the project “Studies of microclimate in museums: Pinacoteca di Brera (Milan), Museum of Viterbo, Museum of Capodimonte (Naples)."
That same year, he coordinated the work of analysis of the Angel of Castel Sant'Angelo, the famous work of Peter Anton von Verschaffelt among the best known symbols of the artistic heritage of Rome. The Angel, never moved from the time of its installation in 1753, was dismantled into its constituent thirty pieces, arranged in as many containers on the terrace of Castel S. Angelo, and transported to the ENEA Casaccia Research Centre with an Army helicopter.
In 1985, he created the project "Design of an advanced system for semi-automatic cataloging of archaeological ceramics" (Stelit Systems S.p.A.) and the following year he promoted and coordinated the "Project Piemonte", in collaboration with Fiat Engineering, the Programme "Cultural deposits" of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage.
In 1986 Maurizio Diana and his team took part in the Venice Biennale in the section "Art and Science" with a didactic analysis on capillary action of water within the walls of the palaces of Venice, through the technique of "radiative capture of neutrons". [8]
In light of the important scientific value of ENEA researches in the conservation of Cultural Heritage promoted and coordinated by Maurizio Diana, in Italy and in the rest of the world an interest develops for the use of new technologies in this field.
In 1988 Maurizio Diana, together with an ENEA delegation led by him, went to Moscow for "Italia 2000" (exhibition of Italian excellence organized by ICE) with the statue of "Aegis Jupiter" of the Archaeological Superintendency of Rome and exposes to the USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev and the Italian Prime Minister Ciriaco De Mita performing live on the diagnostic techniques used on the statue . In 1989 he is appointed Director of Macro-structure Project "Technology for the Safeguarding of Artistic Heritage". This important project has achieved in 10 years of activity over 500 diagnostic interventions of many important works of art. [9] The evolution of technologies applied to Cultural Heritage generated more interest in the academic and scientific worlds, and between the late eighties and early nineties Diana decided to channel this growing interest in the organization of three major international conferences devoted entirely to the relationship between heritage and science: in 1987 “Science as Art” in Rome, [10] in 1992 "Art and Science" in Vinci, in 1993 "The Instruments of Memory" in Bologna.
The team of Maurizio Diana, in the wake of considerable interest for the cutting-edge research in the field, participated in numerous international events, such as: the conference for the European project “Eureka! L'Europe” in Paris (1987), the World Expo in Seville (1992), the exhibition "Tecnova" in Madrid (1987), the conference "Worldtech" in Vienna in 1989.
In 1993 Diana organized the ICE Week "Italian Technology for Cultural Heritage" in the city of Chicago, a major conference and exposition dedicated to technological innovation in the Italian sector.
In support of the activities of ENEA for research in the field of conservation of cultural heritage he promoted and directed the publication of four volumes: “New technologies for the Protection of Artistic Heritage” (published by De Luca, 1985), “Technologies for Culture” (published by De Luca, 1988), “The Chimera of Arezzo” (ed. Il Torchio, Firenze, 1992), and “The activities of ENEA for Cultural Heritage” (ed. Il Torchio, Firenze 1995).
After finishing his work at ENEA, Diana decided to continue his experience as a scientist of Cultural Heritage freelance and put at the service of the university his vast experience in the industry. In 2000 he was adjunct professor for the Course of “Technology Applied to Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Heritage” of the Faculty of Science, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, in 2002 is the founder and coordinator of the Training Course "Physical non-destructive investigations' of Cultural Heritage methods" at the Faculty of Physics. From that experience the book "Physical Methods for non-destructive investigations of Cultural Heritage", edited by Maurizio Diana together with Prof. Giovanni E. Gigante, later used as a study text in many Italian universities, would be born in 2005.
For all the 2000s Maurizio Diana offered his professional expertise for the development of major projects of restoration of essential artistic goods and of cultural interest of the country. In 2003 he directed the scientific analysis of the restoration of the "Apollo of Veii" and the following year of the "Heracles of Veii", two important life-size clay statues in the Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome. [11] [12] [13] [14] In parallel with the restoration of the statues of Veii, he was responsible for the scientific analysis for the restoration of the Chapel of Italy in the St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta (Malta). 2005 is the year of the stone statue "The girl of Anzio" of the National Museum of Rome and in 2008 of the Lateran Obelisk, the Obelisk placed in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome, including the coordination of scientific investigations on the conservation status and the stability of the work. [15]
In 2006, in the wake of this series of major renovations, Diana was rewarded by Legambiente at the launch of the campaign "Salvalarte" with the "Friends of Art Award" born to report "ten personas working in the cultural heritage that have distinguished themselves for having contributed to the restoration of works of art at risk, to carry on the battles in defence of the protection of cultural heritage, having returned to legality and citizens pieces of art stolen and/or violated, or for finding innovative ways of management and use of historical and artistic heritage". [16] [17]
At the same time, Diana has joined the business of scientist as a painter started from the age of adolescence. In the sixties, following the trend of neo-figurative art in the wake of "the Roman School", in 1969 he worked in Paris in an avant-garde group (CAP, Comité d'Action Plasticien) experimenting and applying collective painting on current politics affairs through the production of "posters" for posting on the roads and for public debate (copies of these posters, donated by him, are preserved at the Musée de la Publicité in Paris). In the seventies, he worked with the gallery "Il Babbuino" of Rome, and participated in the Paris salons of the "Jeune Peinture" and "Figuration Critique".
From the eighties he developed an innovative image composition method where great paintings become installations in which the images painted on canvas blend with landscapes and physical locations through a in black and white slide show and the variation of the intensity of the projected light.
The eighties saw the production of many works that take advantage of this new compositional technique. The creation of works with this technique is immortalized in a documentary produced in collaboration with the director Luciano Emmer titled "The Last Supper? – Movements of Light and Sound". [18]
From 2000 onwards he consolidated its presence abroad with solo and group exhibitions. In 2003 he was invited to the Biennale of Alexandria (Egypt), in 2008 he has a solo in Valletta organized by the Italian Institute of Culture in Malta, [19] in the same year he went to Paris for a solo organized by the Italian Institute of Culture of Paris and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in France. [20] Since 2008, he participated in the Salon des Artistes Independants at the Grand Palais in Paris, in 2009 he organized an exhibition at the Italian Consulate in Lille and celebrated 50 years of artistic activity at Ferrajoli Palace in Rome. [21] [22]
In 2011 he participated in the "100 Artists of Hangzhou", organized by Hangzhou Cultural Brand Promotion Organization, on behalf of the city of Hangzhou, and Assoartisti-Confesercenti, with the goal of increasing cultural exchange between Italy and China through the language of art. [23]
In 2013 the monograph "Maurizio Diana – Une figuration illuminée", written by the French art critic Gérard Xuriguera, which covers the last years of artistic production characterized by the fusion of the image with the bright component, is released. [24]
His works are in many private collections and part of the graphic works is preserved at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France in the "Collections des Estampes du XXème siècle".
The conservation and restoration of cultural property focuses on protection and care of cultural property, including artworks, architecture, archaeology, and museum collections. Conservation activities include preventive conservation, examination, documentation, research, treatment, and education. This field is closely allied with conservation science, curators and registrars.
Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of any immovable cultural property are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. The individual engaged in this pursuit is known as an architectural conservator-restorer. Decisions of when and how to engage in an intervention are critical to the ultimate conservation-restoration of cultural heritage. Ultimately, the decision is value based: a combination of artistic, contextual, and informational values is normally considered. In some cases, a decision to not intervene may be the most appropriate choice.
With respect to cultural property, conservation science is the interdisciplinary study of the conservation of art, architecture, technical art history and other cultural works through the use of scientific inquiry. General areas of research include the technology and structure of artistic and historic works. In other words, the materials and techniques from which cultural, artistic and historic objects are made.
A conservator-restorer is a professional responsible for the preservation of artistic and cultural artifacts, also known as cultural heritage. Conservators possess the expertise to preserve cultural heritage in a way that retains the integrity of the object, building or site, including its historical significance, context and aesthetic or visual aspects. This kind of preservation is done by analyzing and assessing the condition of cultural property, understanding processes and evidence of deterioration, planning collections care or site management strategies that prevent damage, carrying out conservation treatments, and conducting research. A conservator's job is to ensure that the objects in a museum's collection are kept in the best possible condition, as well as to serve the museum's mission to bring art before the public.
The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) is a global organisation for conservation and restoration professionals with over two thousand members in over fifty countries. IIC seeks to promote the knowledge, methods and working standards needed to protect and preserve historic and artistic works throughout the world.
The Opificio delle pietre dure, literally meaning "Workshop of semi-precious stones", is a public institute of the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage based in Florence. It is a global leader in the field of art restoration and provides teaching as one of two Italian state conservation schools. The institute maintains also a specialist library and archive of conservation and a museum displaying historic examples of pietre dure inlaid semi-precious stones artefacts. A scientific laboratory conducts research and diagnostics and provides a preventive conservation service.
The National Centre for Research and Restoration in French Museums is the national research centre in France responsible for the documentation, conservation and restoration of the items held in the collections of more than 1,200 museums across France.
The Ministry of Culture is the ministry of the Government of Italy in charge of national museums and the monuments historiques. MiC's headquarters are located in the historic Collegio Romano Palace and the current Minister of Culture is Gennaro Sangiuliano.
Luigi Walter Moretti was an Italian architect. Active especially in Italy from the 1930s, he designed buildings such as the Watergate Complex in Washington DC, The Academy of Fencing, and Il Girasole house, both in Rome. He was the founder of the Institute for Operations Research and Applied Mathematics Urbanism, where he developed his research on the history of architecture, and on the application of algorithmic methods to architectural design. He is recognized as the inventor of parametric architecture.
Gian Tommaso Scarascia Mugnozza was an Italian agronomist and geneticist. He was born in Rome, Italy.
Heritage science is the interdisciplinary domain of scientific study of cultural and natural heritage. Heritage science draws on diverse humanities, sciences and engineering disciplines. It focuses on enhancing the understanding, care and sustainable use of heritage so it can enrich people's lives, both today and in the future. Heritage science is an umbrella term encompassing all forms of scientific enquiry into human works and the combined works of nature and humans, of value to people.
The ISCR is a body of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and tourism in Rome. Together with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, it is one of the most prestigious institutes in the field of art restoration and art restoration instruction.
Conservation and restoration of metals is the activity devoted to the protection and preservation of historical and archaeological objects made partly or entirely of metal. In it are included all activities aimed at preventing or slowing deterioration of items, as well as improving accessibility and readability of the objects of cultural heritage. Despite the fact that metals are generally considered as relatively permanent and stable materials, in contact with the environment they deteriorate gradually, some faster and some much slower. This applies especially to archaeological finds.
Andrzej Stanisław Tomaszewski was a Polish historian of art and culture, architect, urban planner and archaeologist. He was investigator of medieval architecture and art in Poland and abroad. He was considered one of the most important and influential international scientists in the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage.
Assaad Seif is a Lebanese archaeologist and associate professor in archaeology at the Lebanese University. Former Head of the Scientific Departments and coordinator of archaeological research and excavations in Lebanon, at the Directorate General of Antiquities in Beirut.
Mounir Bouchenaki is an Algerian archaeologist and incumbent Director of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage. He was Director-General of ICCROM from 2006 to 2011, UNESCO's Assistant Director General for Culture (2000-2006), Director of the World Heritage Centre (1998-2000), Director of UNESCO's Cultural Heritage Division (1990-2000). In January 2011, he was named honorary special adviser of UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and of ICCROM Director-General.
A conservation scientist is a museum professional who works in the field of conservation science and whose focus is on the research of cultural heritage through scientific inquiry. Conservation scientists conduct applied scientific research and techniques to determine the material, chemical, and technical aspects of cultural heritage. The technical information conservation scientists gather is then used by conservator and curators to decide the most suitable conservation treatments for the examined object and/or adds to our knowledge about the object by providing answers about the material composition, fabrication, authenticity, and previous restoration treatments.
Fernando Bolivar Galiano was born on October 5, 1965, in Alcalá la Real, Jaén, Spain, to José Bolívar Gómez de Urda and Concepción G. Suárez de Urbina. Fernando Bolívar -Ferbo Ligali- is a pioneer in studies on the bio-deterioration of cultural goods.
Abdolrasool Vatandoust Haghighi is an Iranian archaeologist.
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