Our crowdfunding project keeps to grow! Collected 136% funding in 1 month!
38 people have contributed!
“Multispectral Imaging for Art and Archaeology” is the first crowd funding project related to Art Conservation Science. For the first time, research funding is coming directly from the final users of this new tool for scientific examination of works of art.
Multispectral imaging is not invasive and is successfully used in art examination to map and identify pigments, to localize retouches and to enhance the reading of old documents. We will significantly spread the use of this technology through this low-cost multispectral imaging system.
You can still participate until May 28th!
Get advantage of our special perks until May 28th!
The project is over funded but until May 28th you can still become part of this community and choose one of our special perks released just for this campaign.
For $300 we donate the pigments checker, our collection of 54 historical pigments. It is a good deal for those, private and institutions, interested in pigments identification on works of art. You can use it to test your analytical and imaging equipment or for scientific educational programs. We already got 7 pigments checkers claimed! For $500 you get also a 1 day training on the new multispectral system. “Supporters” contribute $1000 and they play a special role in the development of the project. Currently we have already two Supporters. We got also micro contributions, $15 – $50 which make you part of the project and entitle you to receive the biweekly newsletter on the development of this project, hardware and software topics as well as case studies.
Pigments checker is our gift for your $300 donation: a collection of 54 historical pigments. This is an valuable tool to learn technical photography and to practice spectroscopic techniques.
Testimonials
It’s stimulating to receive encouraging testimonials from Art conservation professionals from a number of Countries!
Ricardo Suárez, Spain. Conservation scientist, National Center of Restoration in Catalonia (CRBMC).
Thanks Antonino for your CHSOS open source web. Here in the National Center of Restoration in Catalonia (CRBMC) we love your work. My little contribution for raise your project.Alessandro Fiamingo, Italy. conservation scientist. Art Defender.
“There are a number of courses on conservation science which provide plenty of theory but unfortunately, little practical advices. Also the instrumentation is costly, and definitely not user friendly. So far we didn’t see any effort to make these methods affordable and easy to use specifically for conservation scientists. This is actually the mission of CHSOS! Thanks to Antonino and his papers and posts I was able to learn a lot. This is the reason why I trust him and I decided to contribute. ”David Lainé, Belgium. Senior partner painting conservation and research at IPARC International Platform for Art Research and Conservation.
“Because of my interest and my own involvement in scientific methods for art examination I am always looking for opportunities and affordable alternatives in analytical methods. That is why I have been following CHSOS and Antonino Cosentino from the beginning. I welcome their initiative in developing an affordable and easy way for this analytical imaging system for art research.”John Scott, USA. NYCF President, NYMS Pres., EAS Organizing Committee
CHSOS / Antonino Cosentino: a great online source on accessible methods for technical study of art and archaeology.
In November Cosentino will present results in New York Conservation Foundation’s 21st Conservation Science Annual at the Eastern Analytical Symposium, and applications in cultural heritage microscopy with the New York Microscopical Society, interested public and Salmagundi Art Club Members, at the Club.
Chris Cox, USA. Senior Computer Scientist on Photoshop at Adobe Systems, Inc.
“I really want to see this CHSOS project succeed. Releasing a reasonably priced, usable, open source multispectral camera system will significantly advance adoption of multispectral techniques in art, archaeology, and other domains.”Fabian Rasson, Belgium. Conservator, ORNAMENT CVBA.
“As an experienced conservator specialized in wall paintings and historic interiors I believe that we all welcome the ideas behind CHSOS. Certainly the practical implementation of an open source analytical imaging system is very appealing. So when I can contribute to the further development of a system that makes scientific diagnostics more accessible for us all, I do not hesitate.”
Angela Campbell, USA. Assistant Conservator in Paper Conservation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
“I have been following Antonino’s work for the past five years, I trust his commitment to developing an affordable Multispectral Imaging System, and I look forward to learning about the results of this project.”
Samantha Stout, USA. Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering, UCSD.
“The concepts of this imager tie directly into my dissertation research. It’s all about making the scientific diagnostics more accessible to art conservators and other professionals. Once we have a standardized way to document cultural artifacts, we can start health assessments and time monitoring to identify common threats and vulnerabilities to state of conservation. (Plus, I really need the pigments checker!)”
Athanasios Velios, UK. Reader in Digital Documentation, Ligatus, University of the Arts London and IIC webmaster.
“Conservation is largely dominated by proprietary software solutions which slow down the development of new tools and limit the potential of learning. It is exciting to see open source becoming the focus of this project which will hopefully deliver a tool that other groups can build on.”
Tim Zaman, The Netherlands. PhD Researcher, Delft University of Technology.
“In cultural heritage imaging, there is a need for pragmatic pioneers that are passionate about giving the field easy access to scientific tools. Organizations like CHSOS fit this role, but the effort should be collaborative. Therefore have to give mutual support to promote and motivate.”
Antonio Martinez, Puerto Rico. Professor of Physics, University of Puerto Rico.
“I have been following CHSOS for a while now and I am confident that they can bring this project to fruition. It is consistent with CHSOS initiatives to empower the members of the Cultural Heritage community through training and pointing to accessible instrumentation and techniques.”
Silvia Amato, UK. Conservation scientist, London.
“I like and I believe in Antonino’s ambition, his fresh ideas and his way of making them real. I support this project because I appreciate this new way of thinking the Multispectral Imaging for works of art: an easy and low-budget system available to anyone who needs useful and reliable data using non-destructive analyses. I want this project to grow up!”.
Moshe Caine, Israel. Head of Interactive Communications and New Media, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem Conservation Imaging Technologies – Haifa University Department of Archaeology.
“Antonino has been at the forefront of conservation imaging for many years and has a proven track record in the field. I have been a follower of CHSOS and I trust their commitment to make this project happen!”
Elena Mumford, UK, Art Historian, London.
“I have experienced Antonino’s work first hand and cannot recommend him highly enough. This project is a breath of fresh air and a sign of reassurance for both researchers and collectors .”
Carsten Wintermann, Germany. paper conservator.www.papierrestaurierungdresden.de
“I have been a follower of CHSOS and I trust their commitment to make this project happen! It is a very amazing project and i like this project very much. I wish you success.”Gema Grueso, Spain. Conservator, Museo Nacional Reina Sofía.
“I’m very excited to see where your project is going. I can’t foresee what kind of opportunities this crowdfunding campaign is opening, not only for the goals of this particular project but for the way the professionals approach our conservation field. Open source, crowdfunding, networked communities, we need to implement all these 21st century dynamics in our professional workflow! I’m convinced that such initiatives can bring major changes of perspective and actually improve the way things get done.”
Paolo Triolo, Italy. Imaging specialist, Venaria Reale, Turin.
“CHSOS is the best solution for sharing ideas and new solutions for multispectral diagnostics for culturale heritage!”Alexandr Nikityaev, Russia. CTO, Tula city
“Антонию делает замечательный проект, распространение которого позволит использовать современные технологии энтузиастам и профессионалам доступными по деньгам куда большему количеству людей без бесконечных ожиданий финансированя со стороны государства. Вы себе представьте, что какой нибудь музей под Тулой В.Д. Поленова или военно медицинский музей Санкт Петербурга, сможет заново открывать тайны картин или тексты рукописи Залмана Градовского, члена зондеркомандо, рукопись которого была найдена в пепле возле крематория в Аушвиц-Биркенау. Она до сих пор хранит тайныи в силу низкой читаемости без специального оборудования”“Antonio make very beautiful project. Available technology allow many enthusiast or professionals reopen many secrets. Imaging some museum under Tula like V.D Polenov or manuscript of Zalman Gradowski in Military Medical Museum in St. Petersburg. In case of V.D Polenov we can study more about this painter. In case of Zalman Gradowski we can read text of direct holocaust witness. His manuscripts were found near crematorium in Auschwitz Birkenau ”
Kaoru Suemori, Japan. Researcher, Center for Cultural Resources, National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku), Osaka, Japan
Valentina Ferro, UK. PhD Candidate, University of Dundee.
“Contributing to new creative ideas in the field of applied physics is always exciting. As a researcher, I believe that this CHSOS project has everything it needs to bring an effective world-spreading tool to the cultural heritage community.”
Elisa Di Stefano, Italy. Researcher at Italian Institute for Astrophysics.
“The development of low cost instrumentation supported by the experience will be very helpful for all the people that have a low budget and want operate in the field of Art and Archeology.”
