{
  "id": 12148853,
  "title": "How an EU-funded research programme has been future-proofing art conservation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/how-an-eu-funded-research-programme-has-been-future-proofing-art",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-05T12:38:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Art Newspaper",
    "slug": "the-art-newspaper",
    "url": "https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/10/05/how-european-union-research-programme-has-been-future-proofing-art-conservation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The European Union-funded GoGreen research program, which aimed to make art conservation more sustainable, has come to a close. The four-year program, funded with a €3.27m grant, brought together 13 European institutions to develop eco-friendly conservation techniques. One of the program's case studies involved a 1906 Tiffany dish from the Rijksmuseum. The dish had heavy tarnishing that needed to be addressed without causing further damage to the object. Traditional methods using chalk and acidified thiourea (a chemical treatment) were deemed unsuitable due to their aggressive nature, potential for surface residue, toxicity, and environmental impact. Instead, the Rijksmuseum turned to a solution developed by Qing Wu, a postdoctoral researcher at the Haute École Arc Conservation-restauration in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Wu's method involves using a L-cysteine solution, which is safe for humans, the environment, and the object itself. The L-cysteine method was tested on mock-ups and modern silver objects in a feasibility study before being applied to the Tiffany dish by conservators at the Rijksmuseum. The GoGreen program's work was divided into eight work packages, encompassing greener preventative conservation, cleaning methods, and education. The program emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration, with participants from various fields such as materials science, environmental science, and museum studies. GoGreen also created a comprehensive \"green definition\" with 14 guidance tools, focusing on factors such as toxicity, resource accessibility, and result longevity. As the program concludes, participants reflect on how to further refine conservation methods and incorporate the lessons learned into future practices.",
  "summary": "GoGreen has brought together experts from 13 institutions to explore sustainable methods—testing some out on a 1906 Tiffany dish",
  "key_points": [
    "GoGreen EU-funded program aims to make art conservation more sustainable.",
    "L-cysteine solution developed for Tiffany dish from Rijksmuseum.",
    "Program created 14 green definition tools for conservation guidance."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}