German Apsara Conservation Project
Encyclopedia
The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is a non-profit organisation based at the University of Applied Sciences
, Cologne
dedicated to preserving the devatas (or apsaras) and other bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat
. It is funded primarily by the German Foreign Office.
Angkor Wat is the principal monument of the Angkor
World Heritage Site
in Cambodia
which was registered in the World Heritage List in 1992. Despite its condition it is currently not inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. On a national level it is under the administration of the APSARA Authority and the G.A.C.P. (German Apsara Conservation Project) works in collaboration with both UNESCO and APSARA Authority towards the conservation of this unique monument.
Natural stones weather in different ways. Scientific investigations have been under way since 1995 to examine the characteristic properties of the sandstone
and the factors causing damage. The conservators are being supported by photographers and experts from the fields of geology
, geomicrobiology
and chemistry
. The detailed investigations have confirmed that, in the case of some 360 of the Apsaras, the damage is so serious that significant quantities of carved stone
surface could become detached at any time. The project chose to focus on the Apsaras since they are the most exposed and therefore endangered of the precious carvings at Angkor Wat.
Since 1997 the work of conservation is being performed by students and lecturers of the Department of Restoration and Conservation of the Fachhochschule Köln (University of Applied Sciences, Cologne) and by local Conservation d’Angkor personnel in collaboration with the APSARA Authority. The first urgent measure performed was a reversible step to secure the endangered relief areas. A team from Fachhochschule Köln (University of Applied Sciences Cologne) has set itself the goal of reducing the erosion
of the Apsaras. Conservation work is now being carried out using material with properties similar to those of the original stone. Ultimately, it will not be possible to completely stop the damage to the reliefs, which means that regular and sound maintenance of the monument is the most effective conservation measure.
One of the most important activities of the German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is education and training of qualified staff for the future conservation of Angkor. Students of restoration
and conservation
at the University of Applied Sciences Cologne join the project either to make their diploma thesis
on subjects significant for the conservation of the reliefs or to pass the “practice semester” that is a part of their education. Meanwhile the GACP co-operates closely with the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, Faculty of Archaeology, Architecture and Urbanism and Plastic Arts. The students from Phnom Penh participate in courses of stone conservation
and some of them have written their diploma theses with the joint supervision of the Royal University of Fine Arts and the GACP consultants. The GACP experts have also trained the team of Cambodian conservators working at the temple throughout the year. In the year 2000 new trainees for stone conservation will be recruited by the GACP.
There are a multitude of temples within the Angkor region and consequently there are many international groups working in the field of restoration and conservation. This community of international projects makes up the world’s biggest preservation project co-ordinated by UNESCO. Exchange of experiences, transfer of technology, consultation and collaboration with the national and international institutions present is therefore an important aim of the GACP.
When the University of Applied Sciences Cologne began to assess and evaluate the situation at Angkor in 1995 with a view of preparing a conservation project it was immediately clear that the documentation of the surfaces and subsequently of the intervention would have to be approached in an exceptional way.
Cologne University of Applied Sciences
Cologne University of Applied Sciences is a higher education institution in Cologne, Germany, established in 1971. It was created from a merger of numerous smaller colleges, the oldest of which was the Royal Provincial Trade School, founded in 1833, and renamed Trade College of the City of Cologne...
, Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
dedicated to preserving the devatas (or apsaras) and other bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...
. It is funded primarily by the German Foreign Office.
Angkor Wat is the principal monument of the Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
which was registered in the World Heritage List in 1992. Despite its condition it is currently not inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. On a national level it is under the administration of the APSARA Authority and the G.A.C.P. (German Apsara Conservation Project) works in collaboration with both UNESCO and APSARA Authority towards the conservation of this unique monument.
Reliefs of Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is generally considered to be the largest religious stone monument in the world and much of the surface of this extraordinary temple is decorated with carvings in bas-relief of battle scenes, of triumphant processions, of religious scenes and of single or groups of female figures. Nearly 1,850 of these female figures, popularly known as Apsaras, adorn the surface of Angkor Wat and some of them are in an extremely alarming state of decay. Several of the reliefs have already fallen victim to the ravages of time.Natural stones weather in different ways. Scientific investigations have been under way since 1995 to examine the characteristic properties of the sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and the factors causing damage. The conservators are being supported by photographers and experts from the fields of geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, geomicrobiology
Geomicrobiology
Geomicrobiology is the result of the combination of geology and microbiology. The field of geomicrobiology concerns the role of microbe and microbial processes in geological and geochemical processes and vice-versa...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. The detailed investigations have confirmed that, in the case of some 360 of the Apsaras, the damage is so serious that significant quantities of carved stone
Stone carving
Stone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, evidence can be found that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stone work....
surface could become detached at any time. The project chose to focus on the Apsaras since they are the most exposed and therefore endangered of the precious carvings at Angkor Wat.
Since 1997 the work of conservation is being performed by students and lecturers of the Department of Restoration and Conservation of the Fachhochschule Köln (University of Applied Sciences, Cologne) and by local Conservation d’Angkor personnel in collaboration with the APSARA Authority. The first urgent measure performed was a reversible step to secure the endangered relief areas. A team from Fachhochschule Köln (University of Applied Sciences Cologne) has set itself the goal of reducing the erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
of the Apsaras. Conservation work is now being carried out using material with properties similar to those of the original stone. Ultimately, it will not be possible to completely stop the damage to the reliefs, which means that regular and sound maintenance of the monument is the most effective conservation measure.
One of the most important activities of the German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is education and training of qualified staff for the future conservation of Angkor. Students of restoration
Art conservation and restoration
Conservation-restoration, also referred to as conservation, is a profession devoted to the preservation of cultural heritage for the future. Conservation activities include examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care...
and conservation
Habitat conservation
Habitat conservation is a land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range...
at the University of Applied Sciences Cologne join the project either to make their diploma thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
on subjects significant for the conservation of the reliefs or to pass the “practice semester” that is a part of their education. Meanwhile the GACP co-operates closely with the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, Faculty of Archaeology, Architecture and Urbanism and Plastic Arts. The students from Phnom Penh participate in courses of stone conservation
Architectural conservation
Architectural conservation describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of mankind's built heritage are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. The individual engaged in this pursuit is known as an architectural conservator...
and some of them have written their diploma theses with the joint supervision of the Royal University of Fine Arts and the GACP consultants. The GACP experts have also trained the team of Cambodian conservators working at the temple throughout the year. In the year 2000 new trainees for stone conservation will be recruited by the GACP.
There are a multitude of temples within the Angkor region and consequently there are many international groups working in the field of restoration and conservation. This community of international projects makes up the world’s biggest preservation project co-ordinated by UNESCO. Exchange of experiences, transfer of technology, consultation and collaboration with the national and international institutions present is therefore an important aim of the GACP.
When the University of Applied Sciences Cologne began to assess and evaluate the situation at Angkor in 1995 with a view of preparing a conservation project it was immediately clear that the documentation of the surfaces and subsequently of the intervention would have to be approached in an exceptional way.