International symposium WoodSciCraft 2014 «Wood Science and Craftsmanship: Cross perspective between Europe and Japan»

WoodSciCraft 2014 aims to create a gathering between wood scientists and wood craftsmen for a cross-perspective on the cultural and natural heritage of wood uses in Europe and Japan.

The central objective of this symposium is to create positive grounds for profound mutual exchanges between these two expert communities: wood scientists study wood, while wood craftsmen know wood, and these two communities and viewpoints shall collaborate if a better understanding of wood utilisation is sought after.

This symposium will present multiple formats in order to respect the most natural way of presentation of the different participants, and foster a real mutual dialog between wood scientists and craftsmen:

  • Keynote lectures, regular talks and posters introduced by flash-talks
  • Demonstrations of woodworking techniques (under the form of small workshops or of talks/conferences), small exhibitions with live commentaries of realisations and/or woodworking tools and/or photos
  • Documentary films on woodworking
  • Technical visits (labs, workshops, Mediterranean forest)
  • Round tables and discussions
  • Convivial moments + musical events

The symposium WoodSciCraft will address 4 academic themes and 4 woodworking specialties.
Each day will focus on one craft specialty:

  • (Day1) Wood building and carpentry
  • (Day2) Cabinet making and woodturning
  • (Day3) Musical instruments making
  • (Day4) Traditional treatments, finishing, varnish and lacquer.

The 4 academic themes that will interact for each day are:

  • Wood uses throughout cultures (ethnobotany, history of techniques, interaction between cultural and physical studies)
  • Wood in time (ageing, time-, temperature- and humidity- dependant behaviour)
  • Diversity and variability of wood and its properties (anatomy, structure-chemistry-properties relationships, from between species to within-tree)
  • Relation between wood and its users (perception, exploring “new” species, socio-environmental aspects of wood uses)

The official language of the symposium will be English, but in order to facilitate the exchange, translation assistance will be proposed to participants who have difficulties in English (priority to Japanese and French craftsmen).