Unlocking the secrets of chemistry for conservators!

If you are a conservator, you know how chemistry plays a crucial role in preserving these cultural heritage. After all, the materials that make up these works are usually sensitive to environmental variations and can deteriorate over time.

That's why a basic understanding of chemistry is critical for conservators and restorers, allowing them to better understand how materials react and how to best preserve them.

Instrumental analyzes allow the identification of materials and techniques used in the production of historical objects, which may be essential for their conservation. This field is also known as archaeometry.

And that's why we're excited to share two new online courses with you [In Portuguese]:

• Basic chemistry for restorers and conservators

• Instrumental analysis of paintings in cultural heritage

In the Basic Chemistry for restorers and conservators course, you will learn to:

1. Recognize organic and inorganic materials in cultural heritage and their physicochemical characteristics.

2. Identify the basic degradation mechanisms of the materials presented and propose conservation measures.

3. Introductory knowledge of methods of analysis and characterization of cultural heritage.

Topics such as chemistry applied to paints, varnishes, paper, stone, metals and other materials are covered in depth.

In the course of Instrumental analysis of paintings in cultural heritage:

1. Know the fundamentals of techniques such as Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman, Liquid and Gas Chromatography, X-Ray Fluorescence and Scanning Electron Microscopy.

2. You will learn about when to choose each of these techniques to analyze different materials, identifying their advantages and disadvantages.

3. You will learn about real examples of the application of these techniques and you will be trained to get the most out of them when you have the opportunity to work with these analyses.

Both courses are offered by Prof. Dr. Thiago Guimarães Costa. Graduated in Chemistry, Master and PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from UFSC, he has been working for more than 12 years with chemistry applied to the conservation of cultural heritage. Prof. Thiago has already offered this course to many students here at ICR Pachamama and has guided conservation and restoration professionals in this area. An active researcher, he is a reviewer for scientific journals and gives workshops in Brazil and abroad.

You can learn a little more about Prof. Dr. Thiago Guimarães in our welcome videos to these courses!

Activate the subtitles and choose the appropriate automatic translation for your language in the gear button of the video to make it easier for you to understand

These courses are available online so you can study at your own pace, at a time and place that works best for you. Our courses are recorded and you will have access to them during the year 2023.

At the end, you will have the opportunity to have a live meeting with your course teacher and you will also be able to meet students from all over the world during our live interaction class.

All our courses are 20 hours long (consisting of video lessons, readings of support materials, bibliography and eventually activities). And all our students receive a certificate at the end of the course!

So, don't postpone the project to delve into chemistry any longer! If you are on this journey, you know that this subject is necessary and is part of the day-to-day life of any conservation and restoration professional. Enroll now and start learning!