Conservation

Preventive conservation refers to precautions taken to avoid or minimise future damage or loss. Potential dangers are recognised in good time and preventative measures are taken. The environmental conditions of a collection are continuously optimised. The aim is to handle the collection items with particular care, slowing down the natural ageing of the materials.

For the professional storage of museum objects in terms of preventive conservation, the environmental conditions need to be checked and regulated:

• The structural condition and equipment of the exhibition centres and depot buildings must provide a suitable and safe environment for the collection items
• Temperature and relative humidity (RH) are regulated. A stable indoor climate is essential to slow down the ageing process. Air that is too dry or too humid can lead to irreparable damage.
• The ambient air is filtered to protect the collection items from dirt and pollutants.
• The lighting of the objects is reduced to prevent damage caused by exposure to light. Colour changes, fading and accelerated ageing due to light are damage that can no longer be repaired.
• Damage caused by water, fire, theft and vandalism is minimised by security measures and regulated by emergency plans.
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) measures ensure a regularly controlled and clean environment. The occurrence of biological pests such as moulds, insects and rodents is thus prevented as far as possible or detected at an early stage.
• The quality of packaging and exhibition materials is checked for suitability. Only materials that are resistant to ageing and do not cause damage are used, as they are sometimes in direct contact with the object for a very long time.
• Transport, handling and exhibition presentation of artworks must be organised as gently as possible. Art handling specialists use suitable materials and aids and coordinate the logistics.

Conservation means caring for, protecting and securing a museum object. Ageing and deterioration of the cultural artefact should be delayed as much as possible. The aim is to preserve an object in its original condition as far as possible. Objects are stabilised, for example, to prevent the loss of original substance. Minor damage is treated so that it does not develop into major damage. The conservation work carried out is reversible wherever possible, meaning it can be reversed in the future.

Museum artefacts that naturally have a short lifespan due to their material or production method are also conserved insofar as this is feasible according to the current state of research.

Restoration involves measures that go beyond the preservation of art and cultural artefacts. The aim is to improve the legibility of an object so that it can be presented in the museum in an easily understandable and aesthetic way. Examples of restorations include reassembling a broken porcelain vase, repairing deformations on a dented hat or replacing lost parts on a chest of drawers.

The retouching of paintings and the rebinding of book pages are also classic restoration measures.

Every intervention on an object is documented in writing and photographically. This serves to record the intervention in the original substance and to record the changes to the object for future research and conservation measures.

Material analyses, the concept for the measures, the conservation and restoration measures actually carried out and the materials used are documented.

Art technological research is concerned with the materials from which the objects are made and their production techniques. The items in the collection are analysed using various scientific methods. Historical sources that report on manufacturing processes are also consulted. The aim is to understand the objects, their materiality and their manufacturing processes. Research results provide important information on the origin, dating and categorisation in the historical context.

In the basic research of conservation-restoration, ageing processes are investigated. For example, the effects of environmental conditions on the preservation of art and cultural assets are researched.

Another area of research involves the investigation and further development of conservation materials and processes.

All branches of conservation-restoration research are based on validated scientific and humanities findings and methods.

Art handling refers to the professional and careful handling of works of art, collection items and loans. It encompasses all activities relating to the safe handling of objects in storage, at exhibitions and during transport, including the setting up and dismantling of exhibitions, installation, framing and mounting.
In close collaboration with conservators, packaging, storage and presentation solutions are developed and produced. 

Art handling also involves assisting with the care of collections in storage facilities as part of preventive conservation, including climate monitoring and integrated pest management (IPM), as well as contributing to conservation, inventory and photography projects. As an indispensable link between logistics, technology and collection care, art handling combines technical skill with in-depth knowledge of materials and object properties to ensure the long-term preservation of cultural heritage.