About the Conference
A unique part of the special collections held by public cultural institutions consists of collections: smaller and larger, private and institutional, donated, purchased, or incorporated into collections as a result of historical circumstances, complete, only partially preserved, or scattered across various institutions. As evidence of history, collecting passions, the development of science and art, as well as fashion, customs, and artistic trends, they are the subject of intensive and interdisciplinary scientific research. At the same time, for the institutions that care for them, special collections pose a considerable challenge, both in terms of research and of cataloguing, making them available, and conservation care.
This year's international edition of the HINC OMNIA conference, conceived as a space for exchanging knowledge and experiences between specialists from various fields, while taking into account the collectors' perspective, on research methods and practices resulting from technological development and increased knowledge, aims to raise awareness of the importance and need to bring collections, even the smallest and most dispersed, out of oblivion.
The proposed three thematic areas are:- Private and Institutional Collecting:
- Collectors, antiquarians, libraries, and museums – dependencies and relationships, past and present;
- Private collections in public institutions: acquisition, storage, access, popularisation, promotion and conservation/restoration;
- Recovering lost or stolen objects from collections;
- Private and institutional patronage.
- Provenance and Provenance Research:
- Donations, legacies and deposits, past and present;
- Incorporating private collections into public collections, past and present;
- 'Secured collections' in cultural institutions;
- Real and digital merging or reconstruction of private and institutional collections lost or dispersed in public collections – successes, best practices, and new technical solutions;
- Research methodology and methods, provenance projects.
- Collection Conservation/restoration in Institutional and Private Collections:
- Conservation/restoration and protection of private collections in public collections – challenges and dilemmas;
- Conservation/restoration and protection of objects in private collections – motivation, practice, and funding;
- Conservation/restoration ethics – the limits of conservation intervention versus the expectations of the owner or creator;
- Conservation/restoration issues in the context of unconventional collections (collector's albums with prints or drawings).
For Speakers
Those interested in presenting at the conference are requested to send a proposal for a paper along with an abstract in Polish and English language (of up to 300 words in total), along with a short biographical note in Polish and English language (up to 100 words in total) by July 31, 2025. Information regarding the acceptance of the paper will be provided by September 30, 2025.
Cost of participation in the conference is PLN 200 (conference fee).
Please send your paper proposals and questions related to the conference to the following email address: konferencje.buw@uw.edu.pl.
A bilingual (Polish/English) publication of conference materials is planned.
For Participants
The conference will take place at the University of Warsaw Library, 56/66 Dobra Street, Hall of S. B. Linde (316), 3rd floor.
Speeches in Polish and English language are expected; the organisers will provide simultaneous interpretation.
The cost of attending the conference is 450 PLN (conference fee).
Schedule
- 15 May - opening of registration
- 31 July - close of call for papers
- 30 September - confirmation of acceptance of papers
- 24 October - deadline for payment of the conference fee by speakers
- 10 November - publication of the conference programme
- 17 November - deadline for the participants registration
- 18 November - deadline for payment of the conference fee by participants
- 24 November - deadline for speakers for sending presentations
Team
Scientific and Programme Committee
members to be announced
Organizing Committee
- Agata Ciecierska-Kadlof
- Urszula Dragońska
- Agnieszka Fabiańska PhD
- Zofia Kajczuk
- Agnieszka Kościelniak-Osiak
- Zbigniew Olczak PhD
- Martyna Osuch
- Izabela Przepałkowska PhD
- Sonia Rzepka
- Urszula Szwed-Strych
Conference Secretary
Marta M. Kacprzak PhD
Contact
For organizational and substantive issues please use the contact form below or contact directly Agnieszka Kościelniak-Osiak at konferencje.buw@uw.edu.pl.
Contact form