ICI kolkata
INTACH Conservation Institute, Kolkata centre executes its awareness, reachout and technical skill development initiatives on heritage conservation by conducting seminars and workshops with students and professionals. The Kolkata centre team of expert and experienced conservators design sessions combined with lecture, demonstration and practical hands-on work for participants. Thus, enabling and ensuring proper theory and practical understanding of the critical terms and methods of conservation and restoration of art and material heritage objects.
Facilitating training courses and workshops
The ICI Kolkata has occasionally conducted training and capacity building workshops on:
- Preventive care of art objects
- Preventive conservation of art heritage and household heritage
- Cleaning and scientific examination of easel paintings
- Conservation of paintings on paper
- Conservation and restoration of paintings
In our training workshops we have delivered talks and organised practical hands-on sessions for:
- Understanding the terms conservation and restoration
- Understanding preventive and curative conservation of art objects
- Material technology
- Deteriorating agents and their control
- Factor deterioration of objects
- Documentation
- Technical Examination of objects
- Measuring acidity through PH strips and PH metre
- Making of adhesives (CMC, MC, Starch Paste)
- Minor repair of torn pages, textile (tear mending and lose lining)
- Removal of stains
- Proper handling
- Hinging, mounting and encapsulation
- Display and storage
ICI, Kolkata’s training and capacity building
ICI Kolkata and its expert conservators have been conducting training and capacity building workshops at different organisations and institutions, upskilling personnels and students. Following are some workshops organised and conducted by ICI, Kolkata.
Conservation and Restoration of Oil Paintings
Two-day workshop organised by INTACH Conservation Institute, Kolkata in association with Suresh Amiya Memorial Trust on 18-19 March, 2024. As part of Nabanna Utsav at Kala Bhavana (Institute of Fine Arts) Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan. Facilitators from Kolkata centre held sessions on conservation and restoration relevant to oil painting.
Discussing deteriorating agents and its control, documentation, examination, making of adhesives, minor repair of paintings, proper handling, display and storage etc. As many as 40 participants including students of Kala Bhavana and staff of Kala Bhavana Museum attended the workshop.
Preservation and Conservation of Books and Manuscripts
Two-day lecture sessions for Capacity Building Training Programme was organised in January 2023 for the personnels of Public Library at RRRLF in Salt Lake, Kolkata. Experts from ICI, Kolkata centre delivered lectures and practical sessions on conservation and restoration relevant to books and manuscripts. Terms like material technology, deteriorating agents and their control, measuring acidity through PH strips and PH metre, making of adhesives (CMC, MC, Starch Paste) and minor repair of torn pages were discussed. The two-day session included a visit to the National Library Binding and Conservation sections. The sessions were attended by 40 library professionals from West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Conservation and Restoration of Textile Objects
Two-day workshop in March 2022. Organised by ICI, Kolkata in association with Suresh Amiya Memorial Trust at Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University. Experienced restorers from ICI, Kolkata centre delivered talks combined with practical hands-on sessions on conservation and restoration of textile objects. Discussing material technology, deteriorating agents and their control, documentation, examination, stain removal, minor repair of textile (tear mending and loose lining), proper handling, display, storage, etc. The workshop was attended by 65 participants, a mix of students of Kala Bhavana and staff of the Kala Bhavana Museum in Santiniketan.
Conservation and Restoration of Terracotta Objects
Two-day workshop organised by ICI, Kolkata in association with Suresh Amiya Memorial Trust in March 2020. In the annual Nabanna Utsav held at Kala Bhavan, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan. ICI, Kolkata centre’s experienced restorers delivered sessions on theory and practical methods of conservation and restoration of heritage terracotta objects. Discussion ranged on deteriorating agents and its control, documentation, examination, minor repair, proper handling, display, storage, etc. The 25 participants in the workshop were students of Kala Bhavan and staff of the Kala Bhavan Museum, Santiniketan. The inaugural session of Nabanna Utsav was attended by INTACH State Convener Mr. G.M. Kapur and State Co-convener Ms. Nayantara Palchoudhuri.
Capacity Building Training Programme on Preservation and Conservation of Books and Manuscripts at RRRLF, Kolkata
On 26 May, 2024, a focussed training session on ‘Preservation and Conservation of Books and Manuscripts’ was conducted as part of the Capacity Building Training Programme for Public Library Personnel at RRRLF, Block-DD-34, Sector 1, Salt Lake, Kolkata – 700064. Restoration experts from the INTACH Conservation Institute, Kolkata led the two sessions, delivering insightful lectures and hands-on training. The program brought together 40 library professionals from different states of India.
The key topics in the sessions included: Fundamentals of conservation and restoration, identification of deteriorating agents, use of pH strips and meters to measure paper acidity, preparation of adhesives like CMC, MC and starch paste and basic book and manuscript repair techniques including stitching and binding.
This capacity building training programme on preservation and conservation of books and manuscripts plays a crucial role in equipping library professionals with practical skills and technical knowledge essential for the long-term preservation of India’s documentary heritage.
Preservation and Conservation Training (Binding, Preventive & Curative) for Public Library Personnel – RRRLF, Kolkata
On 30 December, 2024, session on ‘Preservation and Conservation of Books and Manuscripts’ was held as part of the Capacity Building Training Programme for Public Library Personnel at RRRLF, Block-DD-34, Sector 1, Salt Lake, Kolkata – 700064. Library professionals from different Indian states participated in this programme. Conservation and restoration experts from the INTACH Conservation Institute, Kolkata,led detailed lectures and interactive practical sessions on binding, preventive and curative methods of books and manuscripts.
Key training topics included: Conservation techniques for book and manuscripts, restoration fundamentals, material technology, identification and control of deteriorating agents, measuring acidity using pH strips and meters and minor repair methods for torn pages.
The Preservation and Conservation of Books and Manuscripts workshop has been developed to boost professional skills in binding, preventive care, and curative preservation — crucial for safeguarding India’s library and archival collections.
Internship Programme on Conservation of Art Materials by ICI Centre at Hastings, Kolkata
INTACH Conservation Institute (ICI), Kolkata organised the Conservation of Art Materials internship programme from 12 May-12 Nov 2024, for students of Museology, Rabindra Bharati University at its centre on 4C, Chapel Road, Hastings. The sessions were developed and conducted by ICI Kolkata’s expert restorers and six museology students participated in this programme.
The six-month internship programme covered key topics like: Practical sessions on conservation techniques of old art and archival materials. Understanding and dealing with fumigation process of art objects, preventive conservation, curative conservation, restoration, handling, transportation, display and storage of the art material objects.
For the students, the Conservation of Art Materials internship programme was a good learning experience of theory and practical skills in a professional space to pursue a career in protecting the heritage culture of India.
INTACH Kolkata restoration training by Mr. Rajesh Giri who did an internship at ICI Kolkata center. View PDF
ICI Kolkata Conservation Team
Name |
Details |
| Mr. Subash Chandra Baral | Senior Restorer |
| Mr. Arindam Debnath | Restorer |
| Ms. Malati Dey Sahoo | Accountant |
Contact Person/s |
Details |
| Mr. G.M. Kapur | Advisor |
| Ms. Kanchana Mukhopadhyay | Coordinator |
Contact us Write to us or Call/text to join INTACH Conservation Institute, Kolkata’s art and material heritage conservation workshop or trainee programmes for students / novice / professional conservationists, restorers
