Historical pigments characterisation by quantitative X-ray fluorescence

Most of the historical paints are mainly constituted by inorganic pigments, either pure or mixed, spread on the surfaces using different binding agents. The knowledge of the exact amount of different constituents of the paint, as well as of the mixing and pictorial techniques, is crucial for a careful program of conservation of polychrome works. Moreover, since the availability of these pigments has been changing through the centuries, their identification and chemical characterisation is useful to acquire or deepen information about the artist and his/her work. This information can also be useful for authentication purposes through relative dating because the identification of one pigment respect to another one can be used as a terminus post quem or ante quem the artwork was realized. In this work, X-ray fluorescence data from historical pigments, both pure and mixed, will be presented, in order to obtain quantitative information on the samples and to extract calibration curves to the aim of evaluating the pigment concentration in unknown mixtures.     

How do class,status, ethnicity,and religiosity shape cultural omnivorousness in Israel?

In this article we study the determinants of cultural participation in Israel with an emphasis on the Weberian distinction between class and status. The class measure is based on occupational groupings, and status is operationalized as a rank of occupations based on social distance. We expect that class will be less important than status in shaping cultural participation patterns. In addition, due to the importance of ethnicity and religiosity in Israeli society, we expect that these factors will be significant in shaping cultural participation. Data are based on two telephone surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007 of a random sample of the Jewish population in Israel. We find that, contrary to our expectation, class is more influential than status. We also find that ethnicity and religiosity are important factors that shape cultural participation patterns. We discuss possible explanations to the finding regarding class and status, with special attention to the role cultural policy plays in mediating the economic effect on consumer behavior. We also call for more attention to ethnicity and religiosity in studies of cultural stratification.

Cultural goods creation, cultural capital formation, provision of cultural services and cultural atmosphere accumulation

The cultural atmosphere in a society is accumulated over time through the consumption of cultural services and is diminished through depreciation. Using cultural capital (e.g., cultural heritage, paintings, music scores), cultural services are provided by the cultural-services industry (e.g., museums, opera houses); cultural capital is enlarged by new cultural goods created by individuals. Individuals’ utilities are positively affected by the cultural services they consume, by the cultural goods they create and by the cultural atmosphere and the cultural capital accumulated in society. In a laissez-faire economy, individuals tend to ignore the positive external effects of their cultural-services consumption and creation of cultural goods on other individuals via accumulating cultural atmosphere and cultural capital. Consequently, suboptimally little cultural atmosphere and cultural capital will be accumulated. The efficient intertemporal allocation can be restored by introducing an appropriate subsidy that not only stimulates consumers’ demand for cultural services and the creation of new cultural goods but also enhances the accumulation of cultural atmosphere and cultural capital.

A practical approach to making accurate 3D layouts of interesting cultural heritage sites through digital models

On many occasions, the graphic information handled by people working in the cultural heritage sector is still bidimensional. Layouts showing elevations and cross sections are the most widespread tools. However, there is an increased need for carefully detailing the complexity of valuable sites with an improved accuracy. This implies the measuring and handling of three-dimensional data, using both commercial and turn-key hardware and software solutions. Taking the usual traditional process as a reference, in the present paper a new effective methodology for carrying out computer assisted delineation of layouts from cultural heritage sites, using 3D digital models, is described. The proposed procedure has been tested in five intervention projects on representative churches within the “Merindad de Aguilar de Campoo” medieval area, in the north of Spain.¹ This area has the largest collection of Romanesque art in the world, and is currently under European Heritage Site and World Heritage Site declaration process by the UNESCO.     

To Be or Not To Be?—China's Cultural Policy and Counterhegemony Strategy Toward Global Hollywood from 1994 to 2000

Abstract

The study critically reviews China's cultural policy and counterhegemony strategy against global Hollywood from 1994 to 2000. The central argument is that the Chinese government's strategy of using the so-called main melody propagandistic films to battle against Hollywood from 1994 to 2000 is ineffective in terms of film market recouped and quality films produced, but may be considered partially successful in terms of the technological renovation of film exhibition infrastructure. The reason lies in the conflict between a planned production and a market demand, plus an ambivalent explanation of the function of the film industry and an unclear definition of the cultural policy. This conflict not only speaks to the complexity of global-local interplay, but also reflects the fundamental dilemma of China's “one-party market economy” (Kahn, 2002, ¶ 2), and its contradictory perspective on globalization. The study also revisits the thesis of “cultural imperialism” and calls for a more synthesized way to explain the complex global-local dialectic.     

An integrated and automated segmentation approach to deteriorated regions recognition on 3D reality-based models of cultural heritage artifacts

In the field of Cultural Heritage, image analysis represents an indispensable practice for restorers to collect information about the state of preservation of monuments and artifacts and plan restoration interventions. In addition, during the last two decades, the wide spread of remote sensing technologies and the possibility to build 3D reality-based models of artifacts allow the extension of image analysis to 3D environments. In this context, the purpose of this contribution is to show the results of investigations held in order to provide a methodology for the automatic detection of deteriorated areas within architectures and artifacts using colour images as a field of examination. Using both 2D and 3D segmentation approaches, our methodology aims at speeding and efficiently performing the automatic detection of deteriorated zones within Cultural Heritage and therefore segment 3D digital models acquired using different survey technologies. Within our investigations, we selected case studies concerning recurrent deteriorations, such as, for example, detachments, cracks and chromatic alterations; we run them both to manual and to automatic recognition and selection tests, in order to compare the results obtained using these approaches and evaluate the reliability of the automatic one. Results comparison included computational and user time, quantification of the deteriorated area error between manual and automatically detected zones. Additional parameters characterizing the specific type of deteriorations were also computed for each case study. Comparison between the automatic and the manual procedure showed that the automatic detection is faster and reliable in all our selected case studies, with evident improvements in the efficient evaluation of the entity and extension of deteriorated areas on 3D geometry.     

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of microclimate for salts crystallization control and artworks conservation

Many deterioration processes are linked to unsuitable microclimatic condition in cultural buildings. One of the most diffused processes is soluble salts crystallization that can be accelerated in masonry structures within specific microclimatic values for different chemical compounds. In this paper, microclimate and efflorescence diffusion were monitored over a one-year period in the Crypt of the Cathedral of Lecce (South Italy). This allowed to relate the microclimate with the efflorescence variation over time. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was then developed to detail the thermo-hygrometric parameters and airflow patterns responsible for salts crystallization and artworks deterioration. Two main conditions were reproduced; one to simulate the current microclimate, which simulations showed to be inadequate for conservation, and the other to search for a more appropriate solution. In both cases, summer and winter conditions were simulated and compared to find a microclimate able to ensure more suitable thermo-hygrometric intervals required by the constituting artworks materials. The results helped to suggest actions to improve maintenance of the Crypt.     

3D reconstruction of small sized objects from a sequence of multi-focused images

3D reconstructions of small objects are more and more frequently employed in several disciplines such as medicine, archaeology, restoration of cultural heritage, forensics, etc. The capability of performing accurate analyses directly on a three-dimensional surface allows for a significant improvement in the accuracy of the measurements, which are otherwise performed on 2D images acquired through a microscope. In this work we present a new methodology for the 3D reconstruction of small sized objects based on a multi-view passive stereo technique applied on a sequence of macro images. The resolving power of macro lenses makes them ideal for photogrammetric applications, but the very small depth of field is their biggest limit. Our approach solves this issue by using an image fusion algorithm to extend the depth of field of the images used in the photogrammetric process. The paper aims to overcome the problems related to the use of macro lenses in photogrammetry, showing how it is possible to retrieve the camera calibration parameters of the sharp images by using an open source Structure from Motion software. Our approach has been tested on two case studies, on objects with a bounding box diagonal ranging from 13.5 mm to 41 mm. The accuracy analysis, performed on certified gauge blocks, demonstrates that the experimental setup returns a 3D model with an accuracy that can reach the 0.05% of the bounding box diagonal.     

Why has cultural economics ignored copyright?

My stance is that copyright policy should be viewed as part of cultural policy; cultural economists have had a great deal to say about subsidy and cultural policy but very little about copyright, though cultural economics is well placed to analyse copyright as an incentive to creativity in the creative industries because of its understanding of cultural policy and of artists’ labour markets. The article contrasts subsidy and copyright as policy tools and briefly discusses two current policy problems in relation to copyright—regulating copyright collection societies and the so-called ‘copyright levy’—arguing that these are the sort of issues cultural economists could (and should) be dealing with.

Recording and documenting the chromatic information of architectural heritage

One essential approach in preserving architectural heritage is the documentation of 3D geometries and surface textures of historic buildings. For example, precise colour information, excluding lighting effects, is an intrinsic property of the surface materials of building interiors and exteriors. However, while colour information has been recorded for small sample areas, it has not been accurately documented on the scale of entire building surfaces. This is critical, because building materials decay and their colours fade with time. The goal of this project is to develop a method to assist in recording and documenting the chromatic information of interiors and exteriors of historic buildings with low cost and high efficiency. The method takes advantage of emerging high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) technology, which can store rich information about colour and illumination through digital photography. By recording the colour information, in addition to the geometry and texture information obtained through other existing technologies, we can achieve more complete documentation for architectural heritage. In this paper, we discuss an overview of the problem and present our algorithms for utilizing computer vision techniques to retrieve chromatic information of historic buildings. We also present and discuss our experiments and results of applying our method to studies of lab objects and the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City, Beijing.     

eBay auctions for Third Eye Blind concert tickets

The band Third Eye Blind recently completed a tour, selling tickets exclusively on eBay. Many tickets were bundled with either VIP passes or autographed posters. These data are used to measure variations in price across different markets, as well as the premiums paid for different ticket types. Auctioning the tickets allows the seller to practice Third Degree Price Discrimination and bundling, without having to determine prices in each market and for each different bundle. We find: tickets bundled with VIP passes command a substantial positive premium; tickets bundled with autographed posters command a small negative premium; different prices emerge in different geographic markets; and auction prices are positively related to the fixed price at which tickets could be purchased by way of Buy-it-Now.

Determining heterogeneous behavior for theater attendance

In this paper we propose and estimate a model of theater participation using the data contained in the 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts from the USA, a dataset widely used to study the determinants of cultural participation. Our contribution relies on the use of an estimation technique that respects the count data nature of the attendance variable (number of theater performances that an individual attended) and allows for heterogeneous behavior. By using a Zero Inflated Negative Binomial Model, we can characterize two distinct behaviors for the observable attendance: a group of never-goers (who never participate) and a subpopulation that has a positive probability of attending. For this latter group, we can estimate the effect of certain personal variables on the probability of highest frequency. The results suggest that the proposed model is appropriate for estimating cultural participation.

A web information system for the management and the dissemination of Cultural Heritage data

Safeguarding and exploiting Cultural Heritage induce the production of numerous and heterogeneous data. The management of these data is an essential task for the use and the diffusion of the information gathered on the field. Previously, the data handling was a hand-made task done thanks to efficient and experienced methods. Until the growth of computer science, other methods have been carried out for the digital preservation and treatment of Cultural Heritage information. The development of computerized data management systems to store and make use of archaeological datasets is then a significant task nowadays. Especially for sites that have been excavated and worked without computerized means, it is now necessary to put all the data produced onto computer. This allows preservation of the information digitally (in addition with the paper documents) and offers new exploitation possibilities, like the immediate connection of different kinds of data for analyses, or the digital documentation of the site for its improvement. Geographical Information Systems have proved their potentialities in this scope, but they are not always adapted to the management of features at the scale of a particular archaeological site. Therefore this paper aims to present the development of a Virtual Research Environment dedicated to the exploitation of intra-site Cultural Heritage data. The Information System produced is based on open-source software modules dedicated to the Internet, so users can avoid being software driven and can register and consult data from different computers. The system gives the opportunity to do exploratory analyses of the data, especially at spatial and temporal levels. The system is compliant to every kind of Cultural Heritage site and allows management of diverse types of data. Some experimentation has been done on sites managed by the Service of the National Sites and Monuments of Luxembourg.     

News Translation and Cultural Resistance

Abstract

News translation, which takes many forms, encounters two types of cultural resistance that hinder intercultural understanding. The first is apparent in the need to transform a text in order to make it meaningful in a new context, while the second results from the irreducibility of culture as a way of life to the form of a text. This article illustrates both forms of resistance by analyzing a story originally broadcast on The National in Canada in 1992, and it concludes by considering the implications of the power relations between journalists and the people they describe in acts of news translation.     

Methods and tools for the classification and cataloging of antique moulds from the collection of the Richard-Ginori factory

This study proposes a procedure for digitally classifying and cataloging moulds which belong to the historic collection of the Ginori porcelain factory in Doccia (Sesto Fiorentino, Italy). In addition to a vast number of antique plaster moulds, this collection includes artistic porcelain artifacts obtained from casting porcelain using the moulds and models made of various materials. The proposed methodology includes two workflows: the first starts with photographic and casting processes conducted recently on various groups of moulds and involves historical surveys for investigating the relationships between the various sets of moulds, the models from which they were derived and the porcelain objects derived from them. The second workflow was applied when no information was available for a set of moulds, and involved 3D scanning of the moulds, with virtual reconstruction of the corresponding model followed by a final art historical survey like that used in the first procedure. 3D scanning techniques and successive model reconstruction can also be applied for obtaining a virtual model in the first process, when the physical model was lost, damaged or never existed. The variety and extent of the Ginori collection suggested the use of a customized Data-Base (DB) and a set of functions designed to manage and extract information, data and archived images. This filing system, called DocciaDigitalArchive (DDA), also makes it possible to specify the relationships between the different typology samples (prototype models, moulds derived from them, handmade porcelain objects produced from these moulds), which are associated when the same subject is portrayed. The DB structure conceived also provides the possibility of incorporating pictures and data of known archetypes. This additional information makes it possible to place each subject in its historical and artistic context. For each sample filed in the DDA system, documentary cards, which summarize data, images, reports and links to other entities or samples connected to the subject consulted, can be viewed on a suitable interface.     

Approach to environmental risk analysis for the main monuments in a historical city

The analysis of environmental risk in historical cities facilitates the development of conservation strategies that can minimize the deterioration of historical heritage sites. Risk maps built with GIS software provide information about the probability of the main hazards in a region, and is a very useful tool to identify, evaluate and prioritize the restoration budget of a city in order to manage preventive conservation. In this paper, new methodologies are applied based on the vulnerability matrix and its relationship with static and structural factors, climate conditions, air quality and social agents. This technique has some obvious advantages in the application of risk analysis for cultural heritage conservation, such as the capability of simultaneous risk assessment and geographical references. The vulnerability study implies an on-site diagnosis analysis and requires an adapted protocol for archaeological heritage. The validation of this methodology was carried out in the historical town of Merida (Spain) with a GIS application (ArcGIS software), where the main monuments of this UNESCO World Heritage site were studied.     

The cultural entrepreneur and the creative industries: beginning in Vienna

In this paper on the creative industries and cultural entrepreneurship I take my point of departure in Richard Caves’ Creative Industries [Caves, R. (2000). Creative industries: Contacts between art and commerce. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.]. While Caves draws heavily on economic analysis and contemporary sociology in his excellent analysis of these two topics, he does not use the sociological classics at all. The main purpose of the paper is an attempt to remedy this, by drawing attention to the possible contribution that the works of Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and Georg Simmel can make to our understanding of the creative industries and cultural entrepreneurship. Since this paper was prepared as a keynote address for the 2006 conference of the Association for Cultural Economics International in Vienna, I also discuss Schumpeter’s ideas on art and entrepreneurship, ideas which grew out of Viennese culture.

Virtual museums, a survey and some issues for consideration

Museums are interested in the digitizing of their collections not only for the sake of preserving the cultural heritage, but to also make the information content accessible to the wider public in a manner that is attractive. Emerging technologies, such as VR, AR and Web3D are widely used to create virtual museum exhibitions both in a museum environment through informative kiosks and on the World Wide Web. This paper surveys the field, and while it explores the various kinds of virtual museums in existence, it discusses the advantages and limitation involved with a presentation of old and new methods and of the tools used for their creation.