Symposium Reflecting Conservation Forward
On December 13, 2024, the symposium Reflecting Conservation Forward was held at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, marking 15 years of restoration work at the Patan Durbar Square by the FWF Project Discovering Patterns of Damage and Conservation Practice .
The symposium, which brought together partners and colleagues, focused on conservation projects, earthquake response measures, and research conducted by The Institute of Conservation  at the World Heritage site of Patan Durbar Square in Nepal from 2009 to 2024. This work was funded by the Austrian Science Fund ( FWF ) with additional financial support from the Austrian Development Agency, the Austrian Federal Chancellery, the Austrian Foreign Ministry, and Eurasia-Pacific Uninet.
The event featured Gabriela Krist discussing the collaboration between the university and the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust. Rohit Ranjitkar ( KVPT ) shared insights on the restoration journey, while Rajan Khatiwoda presented on the Nepal Heritage Documentation Project (NHDP), focusing on digital preservation. Additional presentations included Meral Hietz and Marina Paric on stone and metal conservation, Martina Haselberger and Suresh Man Lakhe on collection care at the Patan Museum, Saroj Maharjan on local conservation practices, and Padma Maharjan on traditional building inventories. Nina Mirnig highlighted on the changing perceptions of epigraphical sources in Nepal.