Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera hosts the international workshop Unfolding paper: history, materiality and uses of Western papers, led by Leila Sauvage, conservator and researcher specialising in the study of paper materials.
This four-day hands-on workshop is designed for researchers, students, cataloguers, curators, and conservators wishing to deepen their understanding of Western paper as both a material and a cultural artefact. Combining lectures, demonstrations, and direct examination of paper, the program fosters close observation, interdisciplinary dialogue, and collaborative learning.
Participants explore:
- the history of papermaking in the Western world and shared terminology for paper description;
- how production techniques leave visible traces and how to identify them;
- current tools and methods for technical and scientific paper analysis;
- the role of paper in artistic practice, focusing on how artists selected and adapted their supports for drawing.
Through guided exercises and group work, attendees sharp their observational and descriptive skills, building a plurilingual vocabulary and an integrated approach that connects material study, conservation, and scholarship.
The workshop is part of the project initiatives promoted by the “Camillo Boito” School of Restoration, dedicated to the study and enhancement of the drawings of Andrea Appiani and Giuseppe Bossi. Encompassing conservation, documentation, and research, these activities aim to restore full legibility and understanding to this extraordinary graphic heritage and are carried out under the scientific supervision of Maria Chiara Palandri.