Internazionalizzazione e ricerca nel restauro

The study of conservation in an international context shows many problems from the methodological point of view and about its content. To some extent, this kind of activity can be seen as an utopia and poses an unrealistic aspects: the analysis of the conceptual premises and of the results of the restoration activities is strictly connected with the ‘langue’ of the different cultures and the idea of representing in an organic synthesis the conservation problems is similar to the presumption to create a sort of critic register of the world literature. But the concept of Weltliteratur imagined by Goethe has a big appeal and strong potentialities also in the field of conservation, expecially now, in the era of globalization, when important operative choices are frequently entrusted to stakeholders who are external to the cultural contest of reference. The research in the geography of conservation in the different countries can develop an important role. It can use a double and different level of analysis. The first has an empirical and experiencial nature, in continuity with what has been done still now by institution as Unesco, Iccrom, Icomos and other international relationships. The other has a more scientific approach, that is linked to the histographic strategies and connected to the way of the histoire croisée. This could help to enrich a new vision of conservation from a transnational point of view, permanently overtaking the ‘generalistic’ phase of the apparent comparison between different worlds.