| Summary: |
At every year end, ICOMOS Thailand organizes an annual conference
for members and interested academia and practitioners in the field
of heritage conservation and management. The conference has its
main purpose to seek for current trends and issues concerning cultural
resource conservation and management. This year ICOMOS Thailand
in cooperation with Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism
(International Program), Faculty of Arhitecture, Silpakorn University,
and the Fine Arts Committee of the Association of Siamese Architects
under Royal Patronage (ASA) is pleased to announce the 2008 International
Conference on the topic “Conservation and Management
of Sacred Places”. The conference comprises 2-day
paper presentation and one-day excursion to cases of sacred place
management in Bangkok. A special session of Preah Vihear is also
provided in the afternoon of the second day of paper presentation.
Call for papers
ICOMOS Thailand’s International Conference and Annual Meeting
2008 Theme: Management and Conservation of Sacred Places
Rationale:
Sacred places are manifestations of beliefs and aspirations of
humankind. Religious places, temples, shrines, places of worship,
and holy areas are examples of sacred places. A sacred place may
be culturally significant to an individual, a community, a country,
or even an international establishment. Many sacred places contain
both tangible and intangible cultural values that require an appropriate
method of conservation and interpretation. Some sacred places were
created to spiritually fulfil ancient communities that had been
disappeared. In many countries, particularly those having long history
and evolution, sacred places are abundant and regarded as cultural
heritage sites while some have already been enlisted world heritage
where proper conservation measures are essential.
The linkage between spiritual and physical qualities has made the
sacred place a unique kind of cultural heritage. However, due to
contemporary social and economic needs, a number of sacred places
are being mistreated, leading to the degradation or loss of the
world’s non-renewable cultural resources. Issues concerning
loss or degradation of sacred places can be listed as follows:
- Destruction: A sacred place may be destroyed due to a number
of causes. An inevitable cause is natural decay. Other causes
are natural and man-made disasters, preference to modern structure,
and political interference. Recently, conflict among states has
become one of the major causes of sacred place destruction as
well.
- Setting and integrity: Modern conservation has expanded its
boundary to deal with urban and rural settings. It is now widely
understood that the restoration only the structure may not be
adequate if the development of the environs are not well managed.
The ‘intactness and wholeness’ of the entire site
of sacred place are to be carefully considered because the development
of the environs can either degrade or enhance the intrinsic value
of the heritage.
- Replication: With the power of today’s money and globalization,
a unique, authentic sacred place can be copied and built in a
different place with new function, mostly for the sake of hi-end
tourism. Such creation has brought about conflict among the society
with the pros and the cons of such development.
Regarding cultural importance of the sacred places and the concern
with their mistreatment, ICOMOS Thailand is now calling for papers
concerning the aforementioned issues from academia, professionals
and interested individuals working in the field of cultural environments,
archaeology, architecture, engineering, planning, history, sociology
and others. The qualified papers will be presented in the ICOMOS
Thailand International Conference 2008 in Bangkok during 29 and
30 November 2008. Those who are interested in sharing knowledge
and idea concerning Preah Vihear are welcome to submit the paper.
Language – all documents must be submitted
in English
Presentations – in English or Thai with presentation materials
and handouts in English
Deadlines
Submission of abstract: 20 August 2008
Abstract announcement: 5 September 2008
Final paper submission: 15 November 2008
SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS AND PAPERS
Abstract in English: 200 words maximum 1 page A4:
Please send abstracts as attachments via e-mail only to : icomosthai@yahoo.co.th
Paper, in English [and in Thai (optional)], is restricted
to a maximum length of 10 pages including illustrations:
Send in digital format either via e-mail or via post to ICOMOS Thailand
Secretary Office:
ICOMOS Thailand Secretary Office
81/1 Si Ayuttaya Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300, Thailand
|
