Blessings to you! Ven. Upasanti Background Crimes against cultural heritage treasures harm the history of humanity, the knowledge of civilization, and centuries-old legacies. Looters and antique hunters target historical relics, leaving behind the wreckage of a nation’s heritage. Dangers The enemies are theft, earthquake, flood, fire, armed conflict, and political upheaval. Digital Monastery Project Buddhist Art Education works with caretakers to assess risks in their locations. Our Project In a race against time our team of preservation experts are working closely with monk and nun caretakers on protecting their monasteries’ collections of sacred art, by combining scientific knowledge and techniques with traditional methods and respect. Digital The caretakers will learn how to document the monasteries’ collections and create a “digital inventory.” The very existence of such an inventory will serve to discourage theft and protect collections in times of conflict. Digital Monastery Project: About Us Art theft from Himalayan monasteries is increasing every year, and Monastic caretakers are asking for training in security and documentation. While some long running projects are digitizing sacred texts, there has been little concerted effort to create digital inventories of monastic treasures; inventories that include video/audio interviews of aged monastics who carried the treasures from afar, and thus carry the story of where they came from and the great teachers who blessed them. Our expert instructors include experienced professional conservators, security experts and digital inventory specialists from the USA, Canada, Europe, India, and Bhutan.The 25 monk/nun participants will come from monasteries and nunneries across the Himalayan region, including all lineages. They serve as Treasure Caretakers for their home monasteries’ treasures.
In March 2014, the participants will arrive in Bhutan for the 2 weeks of instruction in digital documentation, basic preservation (including safe storage), disaster management planning (earthquake, fire, flood and human conflict). There will be special emphasis on security. Lectures will take place in the morning, with the afternoons for hands-on activities. Site visits to local monasteries will create on-site documentation experience. The training program is augmented by visits to the studios of Master Thangka painters, sculptors, weavers, dyers, tailors, and other traditional disciplines. Phase Two follows, when each monk/nun participant returns to their monastery they begin digital documentation of the treasures of their home monastery. The team will visit each monk/nun participant to assist with the digital inventory. A professional filmmaker will document the project. Twitter: @DigiMonastery http://digitalmonasteryproject.com Facebook: Digital Monastery Project