As the author of these essays – which I began writing in 2020 and have continued to develop through thoughtful feedback and reflection – I’ve attempted to explore systemic bias within heritage conservation and historic preservation. My nine interconnected theses suggest we must examine our field’s fundamental assumptions about preservation work, including how our currentContinue reading “Excavating Inequality”
Author Archives: twistedpreservation - F. Vagnone
Artificial Intelligence: Preservation, Destruction, and Cultural Intelligence
Attending Pratt’s conference on “Preservation in a Time of Precarity: Intersecting Indigenous Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence” laid bare the profound complexities of AI as both a preserver and a transformer of cultural heritage. The day’s discussions examined how our relationship with AI technology mirrors many of humanity’s historical patterns – it can either amplify ourContinue reading “Artificial Intelligence: Preservation, Destruction, and Cultural Intelligence”
Layers of Self: Identities in Transition
Like a person, a neighborhood carries the weight of its history in its name – a linguistic fossil that can outlive its original meaning. The Meatpacking District is now a paradox: a place defined by an industry that will soon be completely absent from its streets. This phenomenon creates what we might call a “nomenclatureContinue reading “Layers of Self: Identities in Transition”
One-night Stand: Living in the Shadows of a Diagram
I entered this one-night stand in a state of transition, personally and professionally. I hoped an overnight stay at the Pope Villa would take my mind off my situation and redirect my thinking outward. No such luck. Pope Villa, located in Lexington, Kentucky, was designed in 1811 by Benjamin Henry Latrobe for Senator John PopeContinue reading “One-night Stand: Living in the Shadows of a Diagram”
Cultural Site Trends 2024
Nothing & Everything
As I walk past the white clapboard building on the corner, watching workers shore up its failing foundation with temporary beams and plywood barriers, I can’t help but feel a deep unease about what will emerge when the work is done. I’ve spent years studying and working in preservation, always wrestling with this fundamental tensionContinue reading “Nothing & Everything”
In Defense of Patina
As I watched the old building being repainted, I wondered: Are we too quick to erase history in our quest for restoration? Are the peeling paint and the weathered surfaces also part of the building’s story? I question the common practice of stripping old paint layers on historic properties. Each layer represents a moment inContinue reading “In Defense of Patina”
A Solemn Visit
Twisted Preservation embarked on a profound and challenging journey through the haunting landscape of the Southampton Slave Insurrection, an event so raw and contentious that even its name remains a point of debate. Some refer to it as the Nat Turner Rebellion, while others argue for terms like “uprising” or “revolt” to better capture itsContinue reading “A Solemn Visit”
One-night Stand: Crafting Utopia
Our subdivision was surrounded by abandoned farms. I used to ride my bike along the eroded red dirt gullies determined to reach the gutted farmhouse and the massive barn and outbuildings. Thinking back, it was a dangerous but incredibly rich way to spend my time. This one particular farm looked like the residents just leftContinue reading “One-night Stand: Crafting Utopia”
Protecting What Matters
I have imagined how museum folks felt as they stood in the gallery halls of the Louvre, Uffizi, or Victoria & Albert Museum moments before they started to remove the artwork from the walls or began covering them with sandbags so that they could store them safely away from the threat of German bombs. IContinue reading “Protecting What Matters”
Twisted Preservation 