WORKSHOP

From 26 to 31 January 2025, the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan will host the workshop Cataloging Photography: Methods, Standards, and Research Perspectives, led by Maria Francesca Bonetti, representative of the Italian Society for the History of Photography (SISF).

This intensive training workshop is dedicated to the cataloging of photography and is aimed at exploring methodologies, descriptive standards, and research perspectives related to the management and promotion of photographic heritage.

The program is designed for students interested in acquiring specialized skills in the conservation and enhancement of photographic collections. The workshop will provide a theoretical framework covering the main national and international cataloging standards, complemented by practical exercises to develop skills in critical image analysis, preparation of descriptive records, and presentation of collections and archives. Special attention will be given to the evolution of photographic study methodologies, challenges in managing photographic assets, and new research perspectives offered by technologies applied to historical and artistic heritage.

The initiative is part of the PNRR project INTAFAM IartNET – an international platform for artistic research and cultural heritage at Italian higher arts education institutions, led by the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, Mission 4, IartNET is coordinated by Nicoletta Leonardi.

Lecturer: Maria Francesca Bonetti, an art historian and former official at the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC), was responsible for the Photographic Collections at the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica from 1999 to 2022. Actively engaged in the safeguarding and promotion of Italy’s photographic heritage, she has contributed to the development of methodologies for the conservation, management, and cataloging of photographic assets, collaborating with various institutions and Italian universities to train art historians, conservators, restorers, and staff involved in the management and preservation of photographic collections and archives. In this context, she drafted the national standard for cataloging photographic assets (Scheda F, 1999), has served on several ministerial commissions, and has taught courses at universities and advanced training schools. She is currently a member of the technical-scientific committee for the project Guidelines for the Restoration of Photography, coordinated by MiC–Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity and the Fondazione Centro Conservazione Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (2025–2026). Since its foundation in 2006, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Society for the History of Photography (SISF), serving as Secretary from 2014, and, since 2023, she has been a member of the Scientific Committee of the Carlo Levi Foundation in Rome.

Participants: Students and collaborators of the IartNET research project.