The Conservation Lab hosts regular reading groups, workshops, and hands-on sessions that bring together diverse practitioners to explore new approaches to conservation. Through collective discussion and experimentation, we examine how conservation can respond to contemporary social, political and environmental challenges.
Our research initiative reimagines conservation beyond its traditional boundaries by combining technical expertise with creative inquiry. We draw on conservation principles like careful attention and nuanced engagement with material histories, while exploring how documentation and analysis can transform into more imaginative and socially responsive practices.
The Lab challenges conventional ideas about conservation by asking fundamental questions: Is conservation inherently conservative? How might it provoke new ways of thinking? Drawing on insights from the environmental humanities, photography, art and archival practices, we approach conservation as a dynamic creative endeavour that actively engages with cultural heritage rather than preserving it.
Our work intersects with ‘experimental preservation’ and contemporary theoretical frameworks, allowing us to examine conservation's role in addressing complex historical and ethical questions. Through collaborative practice-based research, we aim to foster deeper connections between objects, their histories and their evolving contexts.
Please get in touch if you'd like to get involved: sfleury@simonfleury.studio