With the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (NAFAA), and the Khanenko Museum, we implemented the innovative educational project NA.MY.ST.O. (Science. Art. Studies. Education).

The project combined lectures and practical workshops for students with a professional seminar, “The Armed Eye,” designed for museum professionals and specialists working in the cultural heritage sector.

NA.MY.ST.O. provided students with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the investigation of cultural heritage objects and to improve their professional skills. At the same time, it broadened museum professionals’ understanding of the role of technological examination in the attribution and study of artworks while introducing best European practices in heritage science and interdisciplinary research.

Educational Publication

As part of the project, a methodological handbook entitled “Science. Art. Studies. Education. Technological Examination of Artworks from the Khanenko Museum Collection” was published and made freely available in digital format.

The publication was created to support students, conservators, museum professionals, and researchers interested in technical art history and conservation science.

The digital version of the guidebook is now available at the following link

Educational Programme

As part of the project, students attended lectures on technological methods for the examination of paintings and received practical training with scientific equipment used in conservation and heritage science. The programme introduced participants to contemporary analytical instruments and provided direct experience in their application.

This project is supported by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation #SupportedByUCF, #NORDProgram #UCFGrantee

During the practical workshops, students from NAFAA worked alongside experts from ART-LAB and art historians from the Khanenko Museum to investigate cultural heritage objects from the museum collection. One of the case studies involved the technological examination of the Portrait of Infanta Margarita of Austria.

The workshops focused on optical examination methods, including photography and image analysis in ultraviolet and infrared light. Students learned how these techniques reveal information about artists’ materials, conservation history, and the creation process of artworks.

Further sessions introduced participants to scientific methods used in heritage research, including:

• X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) for the analysis of pigments and ground layers;

• ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for materials identification;

• sampling techniques and analytical interpretation;

• interdisciplinary approaches to technological examination and attribution.

Art & Science II Exhibition

On 10 October 2019, the exhibition “Art & Science II: Investigating Paintings” opened as part of the NA.MY.ST.O. project. The exhibition presented five innovative methods of examination applied to five paintings from the Khanenko Museum collection. Visitors were able to learn how scientific research contributes to the study, interpretation, attribution, and preservation of artworks. A series of public lectures accompanied the exhibition and introduced audiences to the latest methods used in the technical examination of paintings.

Events will take place in the exhibition hall of the Asian Exhibition Building.

Address: 17 Tereshchenkivska St.

The exhibition presented the results of the NA.MY.ST.O. project through five case studies from the museum’s collection, demonstrating how scientific methods can contribute to the study, attribution, and interpretation of artworks.

Visitors were introduced to five different examination techniques applied to five paintings, gaining rare insight into the research processes that usually remain hidden behind museum displays.

A series of public lectures accompanied the exhibition on 13, 20, and 27 October, providing visitors with an opportunity to learn about the project, the scientific methods employed, and the discoveries made during the investigation of the selected artworks.

Schedule of lectures for the ART&SCIENCE II exhibition:
October 13 at 12:00 PM
October 20 at 4:00 PM
October 27 at 4:00 PM

The exhibition became an important platform for communicating conservation and heritage science to a broad public audience and for demonstrating the value of interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers, conservators, students, and museum professionals.