ANDREAS SAMPATAKOS

Andreas Sampatakos, BA, MA in Conservation of Works of Art (Buckinghamshire New University UK) and Phd Candidate (National Technical University of Athens), is member of the Scientific Personnel at the CULTLAB and the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art in the University of West Attica (UNIWA).

He is a specialist in Panel Paintings and Wooden Artifacts Conservation, both on structural treatment and on conservation of painted and decorated surfaces. He is also an accredited conservator by the Greek Ministry of Culture. He has been working in the conservation field since 1994, in National Museums of Greece and field projects, including the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens (also as Head of the wall paintings conservation workshop), the Municipal Gallery of Athens, the Athens University History Museum and Monasteries of Mount Athos, His experience as a conservator involves a period of work in the Wallace Collection in London and the Birmingham City Art gallery.

Throughout his working carrier in museums, he has conserved a great number of works of art and has extended work related with all aspects of conservation including:  preventive conservation, documentation, decision making, storage, loans, art handling and exhibitions. He has also been involved with broader museum activities such as: educational programs, strategic planning and consultancy, design and construction of storage rooms and conservation workshops.  He has contributed in numerous exhibitions of Byzantine, Ethnographic and Contemporary Art from planning to implementation.

He has obtained extensive practical and theoretical training in the fields of treatment, preservation, documentation and management of cultural objects and collections. Indicatively mentioned: “Course on Wood Conservation Technology” from the Norwegian University of Science/RIKSANTIKVAREN (with ICROM Scholarship) and “Courses on Conservation of Japanese lacquer” from the Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties.

Since 2003, he was a part time Lecturer in the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art at the University of West Attica (former TEI of Athens). In 2016, he became a member of the full time personnel of the Department and the CULTLAB. He is also lecturing in two Postgraduate Courses: “Museum Studies” (collaboration of UNIWA and University of Athens) and “Conservation of Cultural Heritage” (UNIWA).

Among many of his interests is the research on: ethical issues, philosophies and practices on preserving works of art, pedagogical methods for conservation education, as well as historic wood construction technologies and decorative techniques. His work emphasizes in the technical and social aspects of Conservation under the concern that objects are characterized by various meanings and values.