Royal Museums of Arts and History, Brussels, 12 to 23 October 2015
No two RE-ORG projects are alike. Each RE-ORG team uses the same methodology, but parameters such as the type of collection (size, weight and composition), number of objects, collection growth, space availability, storage room and state of conservation are different. This therefore demonstrates the adaptability of the RE-ORG methodology to suit different needs and situations.
The RE-ORG Belgium workshop hosted by the Royal Museums of Arts and History (MRAH-KMKG) includes the case study of a unique collection of 12,000 fragile and manifold antique toys ranging from doll puppets (smallest pieces) to a horse carousel (largest piece). Participants have been presented with a significant challenge: objects are scattered in nine different spaces and must be regrouped and reorganized. Upon completion this will be the largest collection to be reorganized within a 10 day timeframe.
The diverse group of 14 participants come from seven different museums and are being led by professionals from the Royal Museums of Arts and History, ICCROM and the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA), among other organizations in Belgium.
Following the workshop, the participants will continue to apply the RE-ORG methodology at their own museums and the process will be mentored over a six-month period by the Belgium RE-ORG coordination team. Subsequent to the mentoring period, the experiences and results will be shared through a conference, educational actions for the public and other outlets. Additionally, the newly experienced RE-ORG professionals will guide sister-museums in obtaining same results: reorganized museum storage areas that are structured and planned in a way that provides a safe place for both heritage objects and the people caring for them.
RE-ORG Belgium is a joint partnership between KIK-IRPA and ICCROM, in collaboration with the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo), MRAH-KMKG, Faro, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles Culture and Provincie Antwerpen.