Exhibition presented by Carole Jeanneret
from the "Open Book" workshop
24 Rue de Lausanne in Fribourg
"The mission of the conservator/restorer: what if your books could last another 100 years?"
From June 3 to 27, 2026 at L'Atelier, Place Notre-Dame 16 in Fribourg
The curator's mission
Our work
Why keep it?
The work of a conservator-restorer of paper, books, and parchments lies at the intersection of science, history, and traditional craftsmanship. Their primary mission is to preserve and transmit written and graphic heritage, respecting the material and historical integrity of the works. Each intervention is preceded by careful observation and a precise diagnosis, in order to tailor the treatments to the specific characteristics of the materials, the observed alterations, and the value of the object.
The work stages, from cleaning to restoration and then to aesthetic integration (such as coloring or retouching), follow a rigorous and reversible methodology. They aim to stabilize damage, improve legibility, and ensure the long-term preservation of the documents, while retaining the traces of time that contribute to their authenticity. This approach demands technical precision, sensitivity, and in-depth knowledge of both ancient and contemporary materials.
Paper is much more than a simple material: it is the medium of History, of our history. Inscribed upon its fibers are the stories of men and women, the decisions that shaped societies, the letters that maintained connections, the books that transmitted knowledge, the images that preserved memories. Fragile in appearance, it has nonetheless traversed the centuries, preserving the trace of what mattered, of what was thought, said, written, or passed down.
Every document on paper is a fragment of our past. Whether it's a manuscript, a poster, a notebook, a register, or a simple sheet of paper, it carries within it a piece of human history. It bears witness to an era, a custom, a technique, but also to a sensibility, an intention, an action. Paper thus connects the past to the present, giving visible form to collective memory.
Through it, our gestures, our words, and our ideas become transmissible. Paper preserves, connects, and tells stories. It is simultaneously a material for writing, a surface for creation, and a silent witness to the human adventure.
Preserving paper, therefore, ensures the continuity of our shared memory and transmits to future generations the tangible traces of our humanity, by preserving this fragile medium which paradoxically remains one of the most durable witnesses of our existence.
Let's work
together
Atelier "À livre ouvert"
Rue de Lausanne 24
1700 Fribourg
+41 (0)26 558 83 28