The Decorative. Conservation and the Applied Arts. 2012 Vienna Congress.

The 2012 Congress focused on a topic that was uniquely well-suited to Vienna’s wealth and breadth of decorative and applied arts heritage. Ornament and decoration have been evident in human endeavour since the beginning of human history, ranging from the bold clarity of ancient Egypt to the great period of Jugendstil and the Vienna Secession around 1900 and on to the exuberant revivals of today. Wherever civilisations have developed, many of their forms of cultural expression can be considered as ‘decorative’ or ‘applied’ arts. The congress topic coincided with Vienna’s Klimt 2012 celebrations, on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Klimt. The decorative and applied arts have contributed greatly towards both the practical and the social aspects of everyday life as they have responded to contemporary needs and material inventions. However, technologically innovative aspects of the artifacts produced have sometimes been underrated, while their aesthetic qualities have been studied intensively. The multidisciplinary approach of conservators can help to unravel the fascinating story of some of these artifacts in their original context.