Lucida Lab Milano was established in 2014 to promote the application of digital, non-invasive and non-contact technologies for the preservation of cultural heritage in Italy. It was conceived as an extension of Factum Foundation and is based at Open Care, a Milan-based conservation and restoration laboratory and art services workshop. Under its two directors, Guendalina Damone and Carlos Bayod, Lucida Lab Milano has accumulated a wealth of experience in the digitisation of artworks.

The aim of the Lab is to show that the way we understand the original object is as part of a dynamic process, that object is not in a fixed state of being. This shift can be used to turn cultural interest into a pro-active force assisting in and encouraging the preservation of important monuments and works of art. The Foundation is working to ensure that future generations can inherit the past in a condition at least as we received it and where it can be studied in depth by this and future generations – using secure, archived digital data that does not age and encouraging because what we do and what we stand for is beginning to resonate strongly within the conservation and heritage communities. These communities have realised the importance of high-resolution digital recording, and recording protocols are starting to be integrated into institutional practice. Central to this shift of attitude is a fundamental reappraisal of the role of exact facsimiles in instances where issues such as re-location, re-unification, re-construction, restoration, re-creation and research are to be addressed.

Bando Lucida

The Bando Lucida is a competition, sponsored by Open Care and Factum Foundation with the support of Euromobiliare Advisory SIM, which allows a chosen artwork to undergo restoration and analysis using 3D technology. You can see the past editions by clicking on the links below.