International Exhibitions as a Cultural Link: Conservation of Cultural Heritage

Abstract

The cultural heritage of a nation is everything that affirms the values, ways of life, representations of the world, ideas, knowledge, customs, traditions and dreams of the social group that composes it. Cultural heritage, therefore, encompasses both materials and immaterial entity which includes all the possible visions to illustrate how human beings are linked to different customs, social status, educational levels, ethnic origins within a society. The preservation of cultural heritage is not only based on national and international legal provisions, but also on direct activities to prevent, stop, and, reverse the physical deterioration of archaeological, historical and artistic monuments. Moreover, its preservation only makes sense if it fulfills the function as a binding element of rootedness to the present and future generation. Mexico is a country of great cultural and ethnic diversity, so its cultural heritage is extremely broad and diverse. The conservation-restoration of cultural heritage in Mexico is an activity of great importance, which has required specialization in diverse efforts from the relevant fields. In this context, the Universal Exhibition can be a good example to discuss the current issues addressed here in this article. The purpose of the exhibition which is held every five years is to promote economic, touristic, and cultural significance of each participating country. Additionally, the exhibition includes multiple forums to discuss such as iconic objects of the pre-Hispanic cultures, vice regal period, and modern and contemporary art. This type of exhibition requires preventive conservation strategies to control environmental conditions around collections and to minimize any possible alteration during their exhibition period. It provides a great opportunity to share and compare experiences with professionals in this field regarding scientific and technical advances. Thus, the Universal Exhibition in Shanghai 2010 was mainly discussed in this article with regard to implementing preventive conservation strategies in detail.