Documenting, cataloguing, mapping: the sources in question

Documenting destruction is a prerequisite for understanding it, for protecting heritage under threat and, in some cases, for its restoration. But what sources, methods, techniques and technologies should be used to produce this documentation? How can we cross-reference archives, field data, photographs, maps and digital surveys? And how do these tools transform our perception of conflicts and their effects on territories?

The round-table discussion will bring together an architect, a cartographer, an archaeologist and a specialist in heritage digitisation. The discussions will also focus on the critical dimension of the representations produced: a map, a photograph or a 3D model are the result of methodological choices that must be made explicit. Particular attention will be paid to sharing knowledge with local stakeholders, whose insights and expertise help to document sites, identify resources still available, and consider the conditions for their transmission and restoration.

With: Martin Duplantier (Martin Duplantier Architectes, Paris), Benoit Martin (Sciences Po, Paris), Sipana Tchakerian (Inha, Paris), Yves Ubelmann (Iconem, Paris).

Moderated by Elisabeth Essaïan, co-curator of the exhibition.

Martin Duplantier

An architect and urban planner, Martin Duplantier heads the firm Martin Duplantier Architectes, which has offices in France and Ukraine. In 2022, he founded ARCH4UA, a foundation dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities affected by the war. A former president of the AMO association, he teaches at the Kharkiv School of Architecture. Since 2025, he has been collaborating with UNESCO and co-curating the French Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.

Benoît Martin

A cartographer and holder of a PhD in political science, Benoît Martin is a member of the Sciences Po Cartography Workshop. His teaching and research focus on the construction and use of statistics in international relations, particularly within international organisations. As part of the exhibition, he offers a critical analysis of the maps on display, explaining the methodological choices that have helped to construct the historical overview of conflicts.

Sipana Tchakerian

A PhD holder in archaeology and a specialist in the medieval South Caucasus, Sipana Tchakerian is the scientific coordinator at the National Institute of Art History (INHA). There, she leads a research programme centred on the Thierry collection and coordinates the RePaZ unit (Research and Heritage in Crisis Zones), established in 2025. She also contributes to the development of digital tools for research into and the promotion of Armenian architectural heritage.

Yves Ubelmann

Trained as an architect, Yves Ubelmann has specialised since 2006 in the surveying of archaeological sites using photogrammetry, particularly in the Middle East and Central Asia. In 2013, he founded Iconem, which digitises heritage sites to ensure their preservation. The company also develops scientific and artistic content, as well as training programmes for local archaeologists, with the aim of making these technologies accessible.

The screenings, lectures, and panel discussions organized by the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine in connection with the exhibition Heritage in Resistance are intended to encourage dialogue and a diversity of perspectives. The views expressed during these events are those of the speakers alone and should not be understood as reflecting the position of the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine or that of its partner