News

REDiscover Exhibition Catalogue

We are thrilled to announce that our REDiscover exhibition catalogue, “The Art of Madder: Reviving Historical Shades”, is now out!
It takes us into the scientific and artistic journey that brought this exhibition to life, from laboratory insights into madder pigments to the stunning artworks on display.
A heartfelt thank you to all REDiscover team members, collaboration artists, and partners whose passion and expertise made this project possible.

Posted on 23 July 2025

REDiscover Exhibition

We are beyond excited to be showcasing the works from the REDiscover exhibition, “The Art of Madder: Reviving Historical Shades”, next Friday, the 25th, from 6 to 8 pm at CORNER7 (7A Stratford Villas, London)! Warm thanks to them for welcoming us into their space! And thank you once again to all the artists for their wonderful contributions.

Posted on 18 April 2025

REDiscover Online Exhibition

The REDiscover project explores the intersection of art and science, reviving the brilliance of historical madder pigments through contemporary practices. We are thrilled to close the year with incredible news! Ten artists accepted to contribute to this journey by each creating a unique artwork using three shades of madder, prepared according to historical recipes. These creations showcase the enduring beauty and versatility of this millenary pigment. Check them out!

Posted on 30 December 2024

REDiscover @ Bridge Talks

REDiscover members participated in the panel "The Science of Art & the Art of Science" of the Bridge Talks dedicated to "Fusion: Bridging Art, Science and Technology" organised by the NOVA FCT Executive Education. It was dedicated to "exploring how scientific discoveries and methods are advancing the field of art. Our panellists shared examples of projects that merge scientific inquiry with creative practice, illustrating how this fusion drives innovation, expands the boundaries of both disciplines, and offers fresh perspectives on the world around us".

Posted on 15 October 2024

Austin Nevin

Austin Nevin is a shining star
He has left us too early
An amazing person with so much to achieve

Austin was Head of the Department of Conservation at The Courtauld, that unites Easel Painting and Wall Painting Conservation with transdisciplinary research on preventive conservation, technical art history, conservation science, and conservation practice. He was an original team member of the REDiscover project.

Posted on 02 October 2024

Seminar by Jo Volley & Stephanie Nebbia @ FBAUL

This week, Jo Volley and Stephanie Nebbia will join us in Lisbon and give a talk on "Knowledge Transfer: Colour / Communication / Collaboration". The talk will take place on October 4th at 10h in Lagoa Henriques Auditorium at the Faculdade de Belas-Artes da Universidade de Lisboa. They will also be at the Department of Conservation and Restoration of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the NOVA University of Lisbon for the Artist-in-Lab initiative.
Don't miss it!!!

Posted on 30 September 2024

REDiscover @ NEI'24

Tomorrow, we will bring our activity "Barbie's pinks of the past" to the European Researchers' Night! We will be on the ground floor of the amazing National Museum of Natural History and Science | ULisboa. Come meet us!!!

Posted on 26 September 2024

REDiscover Workshop @ Website

We are very happy to finally share videos and photos from our workshop on making madder colours inspired by Winsor & Newton's 19th-century recipes. It was held on March 6, 2024, at the Methods Room at the Slade Woburn Sq Studios, London, and presented at the Colour & Poetry: A Symposium VI. Check them out here on the website!

Posted on 26 August 2024

REDiscover @ GRC 2024

Our project coordinators, Vanessa Otero and Maria João Melo, will present a poster titled "Back to the Future: Revisiting the stability of madder colors by using historically accurate pigment formulations" at the Gordon Research Conference dedicated to Scientific Methods in Cultural Heritage Research, held at the Les Diablerets Conference Center from 07-12 July 2024.

Posted on 07 July 2024

REDiscover @ Expo FCT 2024

Activity | Barbie's pinks of the pastDid you know that in the past, pink colors were made from plants and small insects? Come and discover how pinks were made by the great civilizations of the past both to dye textiles and to paint the most iconic works of art. And how these colours that have survived to this day may contribute to a more sustainable future.We are on the Gustave Eiffel route in the Conservation and Restoration area. We are waiting for you!https://expo.fct.unl.pt/atividade/os-rosas-da-barbie-do-passado/

Posted on 10 April 2024

REDiscover Workshop @ Slade Woburn Sq Studios

Our first REDiscover Workshop on making madder colours inspired by Winsor & Newton's 19th-century recipes was hosted in the Methods Room at the Slade Woburn Sq Studios. We brought together artists, scientists, and pigment manufacturers to experiment and share their unique approaches to preparing these beloved colours. Our results will be shown at the upcoming Colour & Poetry: A Symposium VI, 21st & 22nd March 2024. Don't miss out on this exciting event!

Posted on 06 March 2024

REDiscover experiments @ Crafthub Website

Our experiments are currently being shared at the Material Library on the Craft Hub Website.Craft Hub is a European project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme focused on Craft in the context of cultural heritage and its continuing relevance in contemporary practice.This task is being carried out by our partner research unit VICARTE.CHECK IT OUT!!!

Posted on 16 November 2023

REDiscover @ Colour Matters 2023

Vanessa Otero, our PI, will be presenting the work titled "Exploring the Winsor & Newton 19th century Archive Database to support cultural heritage material studies" at the Colour Matters: Exploring Colour and Chromatic Materialities in the Long Nineteenth Century (1798-1914). This international conference will be held at Trinity College, Oxford from 6-8 December 2023 and is a part of the ERC-funded CHROMOTOPE project (2019-2024).

Posted on 29 October 2023

REDiscover @ 20th ICOM-CC Triennial Conference

Team members presented the REDiscover project at the 20th ICOM-CC Triennial Conference with a poster titled "Between past and future: Using historically accurate reconstructions to preserve madder colours". This conference is one of the most relevant international events in the field of conservation and was held in València, Spain, from 18-22 September 2023.

Posted on 29 October 2023

First Artist-in-Lab @ DCR NOVA FCT

Artist Elizabeth Langford was at the Department of Conservation and Restoration of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the NOVA University of Lisbon, between 04 and 08 of September 2023, working together with REDiscover PI Vanessa Otero.We are thrilled to start this initiative that will bring together artistic and scientific research. Our aim is to foster an interdisciplinary knowledge exchange that will result in innovative ways to transfer lost know-how, inspire and revive craftsmanship among the general public.

Posted on 29 October 2023

REDiscover @ Instagram

We have been on Instagram since March 2023 to showcase our work regularly. Our weekly posts exhibit our extraordinary objects of study, our methodology and the results achieved under the REDiscover project. We are also sharing with the community the exceptional value of the Winsor & Newton 19th century Archive Database, which we have been studying for over a decade. Additionally, we will be posting information about our dissemination activities, fellowship opportunities, and other exciting updates. So, stay tuned!

Posted on 29 October 2023

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