Museum storage as the new frontier: from visible storage to the Depot Boijmans revolution
Current discussions in museology focus heavily on museum storage, prompting institutions to reconsider how to provide access to their concealed collections. A survey conducted by ICCROM in 2011 across 1,490 museums in 136 nations revealed that 52% of storage facilities are overcrowded, 46% lack regulatory frameworks, 49% do not employ trained personnel, and 42% are inadequately equipped. Proposed solutions encompass visible storage and depot-museums, such as the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, which opened in 2021, and the open storage at Galleria Borghese in Rome. Additionally, the Uffizi in Florence has initiated the Uffizi Diffusi project to move artworks to regional sites. Digital efforts include the Collezione Maramotti's YouTube storage and the Uffizi's website hosting over 600,000 images. Museum directors stress the importance of rotation, research, restoration, and digitalization.
Key facts
- ICCROM 2011 survey: 52% of museum storages overfilled, 46% without regulations, 49% without trained staff, 42% without adequate equipment.
- Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam opened in autumn 2021, designed by MVRDV, displays works by climate needs.
- Galleria Borghese open storage on third floor functions as a second gallery, accessible by guided tour.
- MUDEC in Milan has a ground-floor open storage designed for public visits since its opening in 2015.
- Uffizi keeps over 80% of collections in storage; Uffizi Diffusi project relocates works to regional venues.
- Villa dell'Ambrogiana in Montelupo Fiorentino will host over 1,000 works from Uffizi storage, funded with €24 million.
- MANN in Naples plans to make its Sing Sing storage visitable; digitalization project MANN in Colours underway.
- Collezione Maramotti launched open digital storage on YouTube in 2021.
Entities
Artists
- Luigi Spina
- Jim de Jong
- Wilhelm Bode
- Louis Hautecoeur
- Guglielmo de Angelis
- Eike Schmidt
- Marina Pugliese
- Francesca Cappelletti
- Paolo Giulierini
- Alberto Parigi
- Dario Franceschini
- Ilaria Parini
- Dario Crapisi
- Verner Johnson
- Horgan
- Jean Nouvel
- Alessandro Ruzzier
Institutions
- Galleria Borghese
- MUDEC
- Uffizi
- MANN
- Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
- MVRDV
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Opera Amsterdam Architects
- Henry Luce Foundation
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- New York Historical Society
- Brooklyn Museum
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Musée du quai Branly
- Louvre
- Centre de Conservation du Louvre
- SANAA
- Diller Scofidio + Renfro
- V&A East Storehouse
- British Museum
- ICOM
- ICCROM
- Unesco
- Ca' Foscari
- Politecnico di Torino
- British Columbia University
- Musei Civici di Pordenone
- Rai Documentari
- MiC
- Regione Toscana
- Università Federico II di Napoli
- Collezione Maramotti
- Artribune
Locations
- Roma
- Italia
- Milano
- Firenze
- Napoli
- Rotterdam
- Paesi Bassi
- Londra
- Regno Unito
- Parigi
- Francia
- Berlino
- Germania
- Madrid
- Spagna
- Washington
- Stati Uniti
- Vancouver
- Canada
- Vejle
- Danimarca
- Sassuolo
- Emilia
- Montelupo Fiorentino
- Toscana
- Pisa
- Livorno
- Liévin
- Lens
- Here East
- Pordenone
- Matera