These are some resources that are freely accessible. You may find many more of them in my pages in Academia.edu and Researchgate.net.
The End of Conservation (2024)
“The End of Conservation” is the title of a series of lectures I delivered in Athens, Amsterdam and Barcelona in October and November 2023. In these lectures, I discussed the changes I perceive in the field of cultural heritage conservation, arguing that it may be undergoing an unprecedented, ‘tectonic’ shift that can bring important changes for conservation and for the conservation profession. The lectures eventually evolved into a paper, which was sent for publication in February 2024. I do not know the publisher’s decision yet, but I think that the author’s version I sent is mature enough for publication. Importantly, the publishers allow for its free dissemination so this paper can be downloaded by clicking here.
A Theory of Cultural Heritage. Beyond the Intangible (2023)
In A Theory of Cultural Heritage. Beyond the Intangible I develop what could be called a ‘post critical’ view of this concept and its related practices. As such, it adopts a transcultural, relativistic stance that may afford some fresh ideas to the field, and perhaps fine-tune some of its conceptual tenets. The front matter of this book may be downloaded by clicking here.
From the blurb text:
“A Theory of Cultural Heritage provides a structured and comprehensive picture of the concept of cultural heritage (CH) and its theoretical and practical derivatives.
“Arguing that the expanded notion of CH brings with it a number of unresolved conceptual tensions, Muñoz-Viñas summarizes the strong and weak points of the current discourse. Gathering together a range of existing views on cultural heritage and its practices, the book provides a dynamic overview of the theoretical underpinnings behind the notion and also considers how these could evolve in the future. By analyzing the conflicting meanings of the term ‘cultural heritage’ and establishing a more nuanced ontological taxonomy, this book challenges some well-established views and outlines a framework that will allow the reader to better grasp the theoretical and practical complexities of this fascinating notion.
“A Theory of Cultural Heritage is a thought-provoking and valuable contribution to the existing literature, written in an engaging, clear style that will make it accessible to academics, students and heritage professionals alike.”