The world of art conservation is the work of re-animating the sacred culture of China. Conservators are a first line of defense against natural challenges such as earthquakes, floods, fire and the ravages of time. Social change and poor conservation itself can deface our cultural treasures. Art conservators are the first responders to these challenges to our human treasury.

In this lecture, renowned art conservator Ann Shaftel, focuses on Thangkas which in particular play a strong role in our culture because they convey the precision and richness of a 2500 year-old Buddhist teaching. Highly symbolic, they are a library for the teachers, as well as students of their lineage traditions, and for students of classical art history.

Unlike other ways of accessing traditional art, conservators combine scientific methods and respect for artistry as well as spiritual traditional culture.

The respect for thangkas’ archived knowledge means both remote monasteries and big city museums are stakeholders in their preservation.

In this way thangkas represent a unique intersection of persevering traditional culture and utilizing cutting edge methods of preservation. Today, risk assessment and digital documentation of monasteries and museums collaborate to determine the sustainability of thangkas and the teachings they contain.

Ann Shaftel, preservation specialist, stands at the forefront, at the cutting edge of art conservation. A leading professional in the conservation of thangkas worldwide, she has a vast resume in museums as well as remote monasteries. She teaches international workshops to disseminate knowledge of conservation and NYU Shanghai is privileged to have Ann to share her experience and thoughts on Thangka Conservation in the Digital Age, and help to further raise awareness of cultural heritage preservation. 

Introduction and moderation of the Q&A by Wuwei Chen, Visiting Assistant Arts Professor.

Center for Global Asia (CGA) and Interactive Media Arts (IMA) are co-sponsoring this lecture.