"The World Heritage List: Filling the Gaps." International conference on modern heritage

Programme of the conference

The major objective of this 2-day conference is to promote an understanding of the significance of the twentieth-century heritage, not only with its physical and visual attributes, but also with its historical, cultural and social dimensions. The conference also aims to examine the scope and the challenges of managing this recent heritage within the framework of the World Heritage regime. The use of the ICOMOS ISC20C Madrid Document “Approaches for the Conservation of Twentieth Century Architectural Heritage as Practical Guidance for Managing Change and Intervention” would be a parallel focus. Deliberations of the conference are organized under four thematic sessions – Evaluation, Intervention, Management of Change and twentieth-century Historic Urban Landscapes.

Supporting activities

A 3-day Training Programme-cum-Workshop would be organized in continuation of the Conference (5-7 October 2013). The aim of this event is a critical analysis of twentieth century properties in the Asia-Pacific inscribed on the World Heritage List or on the Tentative List and the identification of potential candidates for nomination to the List in India.  The conference organizers also wish to hold an exhibition of documentation and other visual studies related to this theme.

Conference venue  

The conference will be held in Chandigarh, the iconic city of twentieth-century India. Built during 1950s-60s as a statement of the aspirations of a new republic, the historic core of Chandigarh offers a vast range of modernist experiences. The place is a veritable living laboratory for study of the philosophical, the ethical and the physical aspects of conserving the twentieth-century heritage. Visits to key historic areas of the city would be organized before and after the conference.