Hortense de Corneillan

Born in Paris in 1980, Hortense de Corneillan is a heritage restorer specializing in ceramics and glass. With degrees in art history, museology (École du Louvre) and conservation-restoration (Institut national du patrimoine), she has been living in Switzerland since 2008. After 11 years working for a museum, she is now a freelance artist. She works for Swiss and European institutions in the fields of archaeology and decorative arts. An important part of her activity is devoted to teaching. She is a lecturer at the Haute École Arc Conservation-restoration (HE-Arc CR, Neuchâtel), where she also coordinates continuing education for conservation professionals.

Her residency at Villa Medici is devoted to the restoration work carried out in the 19th century on ancient vases found in Etruria. Considering these modifications as cultural markers, testifying to a shifting relationship with the ancient object, she wishes to question their gradual disappearance during modern restoration campaigns.
In parallel, she is reflecting on the possibilities of mediation around restored vases. How can the public be made to understand the intimate and eventful history of these heritage objects?