The Art of the Lost

Canterbury Cathedral is proud to present its second Conservation and Collections Conference – Art of the Lost: Discussing the future of the past, from 27 to 29 November 2019.

Art plays a significant part of the experience of the Cathedral space, from music to glass, to graffiti, wall art, textiles, books and paintings. This conference will explore and appraise current and developing studies of how art changes, is reused or repurposed, disappears or is rediscovered.

Over three days curators, conservators, scientists, historians, archaeologists, and artists from the UK, Europe and the USA will look at how, and why art is defaced, destroyed or is lost within architectural settings.

With a particular focus on art within the context of cathedrals and other places of worship, the conference considers changing ideologies, iconoclasm, war, fashion and symbolism. It will discuss art from the 6th century to the modern day.

Delegates will also be treated to exclusive access to the Cathedral’s collections, behind the scene tours of conservation in action, of the wall paintings and graffiti, all within the beautiful setting of Canterbury Cathedral. Delegates arriving on Wednesday 27 November have the opportunity to join us for an afternoon of Cathedral and city wide tours led by specialists from 14:00 onwards.