Following a 2011 resolution adopted by ICCROM Member States on the reorganization of museum storage, in 2013 ICCROM launched a large-scale call for partners to implement RE-ORG projects worldwide. More than 40 Member States showed interested in the initiative. Since then ad hoc regional and national initiatives are being organized.
The latest RE-ORG project took place in India from the 27 July to the 7 August , in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology and Museums in Rajasthan, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). The workshop was part of the campaign launched to improve the state of museum storage in Rajasthan under the guidance of Sh. Shailendra Agrawal, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of Rajasthan.
Eleven participants coming from ten museums in Rajasthan and one from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had the opportunity during two weeks to partake in the reorganization of three storage units in the Alwar Museum. This workshop was also an opportunity to welcome colleagues of former RE-ORG projects in India (IGNCA) and Serbia (Central Institute for Conservation in Belgrade) into the teaching team. All RE-ORG projects around the world are an opportunity to create a strong network of trainers who can support and spread the methodology, working together to improve museum storage conditions.
Because of its significance for the region, the Alwar Museum was used as a case study for the implementation of this methodology. It has also the most important arms collections in Rajasthan. As with all RE-ORG projects, the main challenge is to find adequate storing solutions with a limited budget, reusing as much as possible old furnishings and installing basic new furnishings if needed. This was quite a success as the reorganization of the storage area was done using minimum funding (250€). The reuse of the material concerned specifically the modification of the gun rack to accommodate the weapons on the ground. Without a doubt, the main resource spent was time (900 hours/persons), energy and the good will of the participants.
Due to the strict regulations of the museum storage area, participants carried out phase 1 – Teamwork and planning, phase 2 – Storage condition survey and report, as well as phase 3 – RE-ORG project planning of the RE-ORG methodology, while the museum staff took responsibility for phase 4 – Implementation.
Participants organized a temporary exhibition in the Museum to show that the RE-ORG project is not only about storage, but also about the possibility to access and present what is “hidden” in storage. The exhibition is accessible to visitors during the whole month of September. The workshop and the exhibition opening were covered in local media, raising awareness of the Alwar Museum and its work, as well as importance of the RE-ORG project.