General information
The Department of Restoration at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts offers a degree in the Fine Arts Restoration Specializations for painters, wood sculptors and stone sculptors, and a degree in five specializations (silicate, metal-alloy, paper-leather, textile-leather and wood-furniture restoration) within the Applied Arts Restoration Specializations. The department aims to prepare students for independent restoration and research work and for the professional documentation of these activities. The primary focus of teaching is on specific artistic and professional training, the multifaceted tasks of the specialisations - professional, historic and museum - and the acquisition of applied artistic and technological procedures. The department's microscopy laboratory is used for carrying out and evaluating scientific studies, for image-computer processing of knowledge, and for high-level theoretical and practical teaching and research.
The undergraduate courses include the conservation of works of art and monuments, painting techniques, materials science, physics, chemistry, iconography, museology, cultural history and art history respective to specialisation.
In cooperation with the Hungarian National Museum, the aim of the course in applied arts restoration in a part-time course is to train professionals who, either independently or with the help of museologists and natural scientists, are able to carry out and evaluate technical and material tests on artefacts, assess their condition, plan and carry out their salvage, cleaning, conservation and restoration. Students will plan the restoration process based on independent literature and practical research. They will also acquire a good understanding of the possibilities and control of creating a museum environment for the conservation of artefacts.
Since 1996, an exhibition entitled "Treasures Saved" has been held to showcase the work of graduating art conservation students: until 1999 at the Museum of Applied Arts, and since 2000 at the Hungarian National Museum. Since 2002, these exhibitions have included the work of art conservation students, and since then a bilingual catalogue has been produced for the exhibitions.
