THE PROJECT

For our continent the cultural activity sector represents both an economical and a social basic function. In fact, the tourist sector "global product" is high, because of the numerous and high quality masterpieces our continent preserves, and which recall a lot of visitors.
Moreover, the high numbers of Community Citizens visiting the other EC countries for cultural reasons gives a significative support to the European integration.
In this sense, a correct presentation and preservation of artistic patrimony has an always more growing importance, particularly relating to those works of art that can be damaged by unfavourable environment conditions.
Actually the requested competencies to assess the suitable preservation and exhibition procedures belong no longer to only one job. Especially relating to the works of art lighting, three different professions, the set designer, the lighting technique expert and the art history expert have to operate contemporaneously, and only by big efforts they sometimes find the right compromise among the needs of the works of art preservation and exhibition. So coming out from the dark centuries, in a fortunately way the highest expressions of Holy Art arrive the end of our century, which is the electric progress century but not the lighting technique one. The artistic patrimony , whose quality and quantity in Europe are like no other continent, (from the marbles to the sculptures, to the soft colours of frescoes and pictures), is often hanged to a bad light thread, a light pollution having no mercy, infra red rays, causing changes of temperature with destroying power or, paradoxically, shadows condemning various works to remain in darkness to eternity.
This project aims at filling up this lack, laying down the basis for a future training course about the works of art illumination, and the birth of an expert having high competencies in history of art , technical competencies about the nature and the behaviour of the employed materials to make a technical light and a lighting system. The training course will be for youth with diploma, having prevalently or a humanistic or a technical curriculum, and it will dispose training credits relating to those already studied parts of programme.
As we said, the project aims at laying down the basis for a future creation of a training course, and in this sense it provides:

• to assess the till now chosen solutions to light works of art, looking for the local culture and environment influences upon these choices;
• to verify the effects of artificial lights sources on differently aged pieces of art of different kind and origin, both by experimental test and by computer simulation;
• to find a protocol granting the correct conservation of the works of art, respecting minimum standards for showing them to visitors;
• to lay down the basis for creating a new professional expert and a specific trans-national training course.

The final result will be represented by a research report divided into the following subjects:

• Works of art artificial lighting methods state of art in Europe;
• Works of art artificial lighting solutions with lowest aggressiveness;
• A referring protocol for the works of art artificial light;
• General lines about the creation of a training course for pieces of art artificial lighting specialised worker.

We suppose the beneficiaries will be:

• Youth looking for a first job and/or without permanent employment,
• National and International Public Institutes,
• Corporations, Museums and Foundations dealing with art field, particularly referred to works of art preservation and exhibition.
• Companies operating in lighting equipment production and installation
• Vocational training organisation.