In the framework of RE-ORG, an international programme launched by ICCROM, 25 professionals from various services of the Ministry of Culture and Sports are trained in, and work on, the reorganization of museum storage (28/3-8/4/2016).
International surveys have shown that only a small part – approximately 20% – of museum collections are on display. Most objects are kept in storage, in order to be preserved, studied and utilized in every suitable way at present and in the future. Their appropriate storage is of huge significance, not only for their safe preservation and best management, but also for dealing with the problems of space deficiency that museums usually face.
In recognition of this need, ICCROM, in collaboration with UNESCO, has developed RE-ORG, an integrated system of specialized tools and methods, for the evaluation and the improvement of museum storage. Since 2011, RE-ORG has been applied, with spectacular results, in 12 museums all over the world.
In Athens, the programme is run by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage and the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments. From March 28 until April 8, 2016, it is being applied on a pilot basis at the storage of the Museum of Greek Folk Art and the Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos. Experienced professionals of conservation and museum management are training archaeologists, ethnologists and conservators in the specialized tools of the RE-ORG methodology. They will then carry their knowledge and experience at their own workplaces, guiding their colleagues and reorganizing the storage of ephorates and museums, thus leading to a ripple effect on the appropriate management of our cultural heritage.
