Lectures and talks
11/30/2023 Examining and Conserving Painted Interiors in Historic Syrian houses... in-situ and in the museum setting, zoom presentation for International Academic Projects Ltd (IAP)
11/03/2023 Variety of Materials and Techniques in the Interior Decoration of Domestic Spaces in Damascus between the 18th and 20th centuries – Changes in Taste and Materiality, keynote lecture at the conference at the VITROCENTRE ROMONT "Interiors Reconfigured: Changing Materiality and Craftsmanship in the Decorative Arts of the Middle East and North Africa (18th-20th centuries)"
09/17/2023 The Damascus Room at the Cincinnati Art Museum: a Fascinating Journey to 18th century Damascus, zoom presentation for the Cincinnati Asian Art Society, Taft Museum, Cincinnati
03/03/2023 ‘Damascus Rooms’ in Dresden and Doha: Multifunctional Architectural Spaces in Museum Displays, presented at the Biennial Symposium of HIAA (Historians of Islamic Art Association), The Museum of Fine Arts and Rice University, Houston
11/03/2022 Brocades, Carpets and Silk Fabrics: Painted Textiles in 18th and 19th century Private Homes in Damascus, presented for The Hajji Baba Club, New York City
05/31/2022 Insights in two conservation projects of Damascene interiors at museums in Dresden und Doha, presented at the Deutsch-Arabische Gesellschaft e.V. (DAG), Berlin
02/19/2020 Relatives of the Persian Card Room at the Graylyn Estate: 'Damascene Rooms' in Collections Around the World between 1880 and 2020, presented at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem
02/18/2020 The Persian Card Room at the Graylyn Estate - Secrets of a Rare Interior from Damascus Revealed, presented at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem
11/12/2019 The Berlin Aleppo Room Presented during the concert "The Heart of the Caravan Route" with Ibrahim Keivo, Bassem Hawar, Saad Mahmood Jawad and Thomas Friedländer, Palais im Großen Garten, Dresden
06/13/2019 Damascene Rooms in Europe: Orientalising Creations of Interiors and Authentic Rooms between 1880 and 1930, presented at the workshop "Gezimmertes Morgenland. Orientalische und orientalisierende Holzinterieurs in Mitteleuropa im späten 19. Jahrhundert: Phänomenalität, Materialität, Historizität" (Oriental and Orientalising interiors in late 19th century central Europe), Vienna, Hermesvilla, organized by Maximilian Hartmuth, University of Vienna
04/24/2019 Brocades, Carpets and Silk Fabrics - Painted Textiles in 18th and 19th Century Private Homes in Damascus presented at the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha
10/27/2018 Brocade, Chintz and Silk fabrics - Painted Textiles in 18th and 19th Century Private Homes in Damascus, presented at the Volkmann meeting, Museum für Islamische Kunst and Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin
05/19-22/2016 Home Decor and Interior Decoration in 18th century Damascene homes, presented before the concert series of the Tafelmusik Orchestra, Toronto: Tales of Two Cities: The Leipzig-Damascus Coffee House
04/09/2016 Ornate panels from 18th and 19th century Damascene 'ajami interiors: Conservation issues and Western perceptions of the ‘Orient’ revealed, presented at the ICOM-CC conference, Potsdam
10/03/2015 Damascus Rooms: their Decorations and Decorative Techniques, presented at the Study Day: “Introducing Damascus Rooms: The Decorated Interiors of 18th and 19th Century Syria”, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
11/23/2015 Syria - Country and People, presented at the Kleine Galerie Torgau, invited by the Torgauer Kunst- und Kulturverein "Johann Kentmann"
09/13/2015 Conservation of Ajami Rooms, Presented at the Museum of Islamic Art Cairo
06/17/2015 Damascene Interior Decoration - Forgotten Masterpieces of Interior Design, Lunchtime Lecture, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
02/20/2015 Living in mid-19th century Damascus – Insights into Lifestyle of Foreigners and Locals in Damascus‘ Old City, presented at the international Symposium “Studies on Johann Gottfried Wetzstein (1815-1905): Manuscripts, Politics and Oriental Studies”, Staatsbibliothek Berlin
09/30/2014 Damascene Interior Decoration in Bojnice Castle – a Gem of Refined Urban Home Decor and its Original Context, presented at the International Orient-Symposium, Slovak National Museum, Bojnice Castle
04/05/2014 Painted Worlds: Interior decoration in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-century Residences in Damascus, presented as part of the workshop „Empires of the Eye: Ottoman Material Culture and its Place in Birmingham”, Birmingham Museums Trust, Birmingham
03/14/2014 Changing Minds through Sharing Research: the Preservation of Historic Damascene ʿajami Rooms, presented at the 2014 Architectural Paint Research Conference, Stockholm
02/26/2014 Forgotten Jewels of Interior Decoration: The Materials, Techniques and Preservation of historic Reception Rooms from Damascus. Lecture, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
02/19/2014 Damascene Interiors in Dresden, Honolulu, and New York City, Lecture, Kapi’olani Community College Library, Honolulu, Hawai’i
02/15/2014 Roses and Jasmine, Gold and Lapis Lazuli: The Interior Decoration Program of Private Residences in Syria. Salon talk at Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Honolulu
10/29/2013 Historic Ajami Interiors in Syrian Residences of the 18th & 19th centuries: Research and Conservation, presented at Heritage Wood: Research & Conservation In The 21st Century, ICOM-CC Working Groups joint interim conference, Warsaw
08/31/2013 Syrian Jewels: Damascene Interiors in Context. Salon Talk at Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Honolulu
04/28/2013 Historic interior decoration of Damascene 18th/19th c. private homes - complex decoration techniques using a wide variety of materials: stone, plaster, glass, metal, wood, mother-of-pearl, polychromy and textiles, presented at the International young academics workshop of the Ernst-Herzfeld-Society, Otto-Friedrichs-University of Bamberg
06/28/2012 Rare treasures of 18th - early 19th century Damascus: Discoveries of originally preserved ‘ajami interiors and glimpses into recent conservation projects. Presented at the symposium “The Damascus Room in Context: Acquisition, Furnishings and Conservation” , Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Shangri La, Honolulu, Hawai’i
09/23/2010 Insight into a sophisticated painting technique - results of an investigation into three polychrome wooden interiors from Ottoman Syria in German collections and field research in Damascus, presented at the IIC Conference Istanbul
10/23/ 2008 Damascene interiors in the Western world, its history, painting technique and conservation, presented at the Annual meeting of the Advisory Board of the Danish Institute Damascus, Damascus
09/26/2008 Ajami Rooms - Polychrome Wooden Interior Decorations from Syria of the 17th to the 19th Centuries: A View into Art Technology and Conservation Problems, presented at the ICOM-CC Conference, New Delhi:
05/25/2006 Damascene interiors in the Western world, its history, painting technique and conservation, public lecture in Maktab Anbar, Department of Old Damascus, Damascus
05/25/2004 Research and conservation projects of Syrian Ottoman wooden interiors in German collections and in Damascus, presented at the international symposium „Preserving a Sense of Awe, The History and Conservation of Interiors from Ottoman Syria“, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Shangri La, Honolulu, Hawai’i
10/12–18/2003 Historic painting techniques and conservation of the Dresden Damascus Room, presented at the international workshop “Documentation and Restoration in a Middle Eastern Bazaar: The Suq Haraj and its Urban Environment”, Tripoli, Lebanon, organized by Dr. Stefan Weber, Orient-Institute Beirut (OIB) of the “Stiftung Deutsche Geisteswissenschaftliche Institute im Ausland" ("Foundation German Humanities Institutes Abroad")
04/12–14/2002 Examination results on the historic painting technique and conservation project of the Dresden Damascus Room. Presented at the international symposium of the Museum for Islamic Art Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz, "The Berlin Aleppo Room"