La conferenza, aperta al pubblico previa registrazione, è dedicata alla figura del Registrar e alla sua “definizione” nel contesto museale. Saranno sia i Registrar stessi - Collection Registrar e Exhibition Registrar, che le figure professionali che operano con i Registrar a presentare le peculiarità di questa figura: il curatore, l’architetto, il broker assicurativo, il trasportatore, il restauratore e il direttore con cui condivide responsabilità in merito alla sicurezza delle opere d’arte.
Il Registrar è il «regista» di una mostra ed ha il compito di organizzare e sovrintendere gli aspetti legati alla gestione e movimentazione delle opere d'arte. Quando il Registrar si occupa di seguire la complessa macchina che si muove intorno al prestito delle opere d'arte è detto Exhibition Registrar, mentre quando è impegnato anche nell'inventariazione e gestione di collezioni è detto Collection Registrar. Il Registrar prepara la documentazione necessaria ad una mostra ma anche le autorizzazioni per il trasporto e la copertura assicurativa delle opere d’arte. Può offrire anche il servizio di accompagnamento dell'opera in altre sedi e partecipa alla compilazione del Condition Report.
Il recente Decreto Lgl. 1112 del Ministero della Cultura relativo all’ordinamento professionale del personale non dirigenziale dello stesso Ministero, definisce con chiarezza i requisiti d’accesso, le conoscenze specifiche e le mansioni di questa figura che è stata riconosciuta per la sua importanza all’interno delle professioni tecnico-specialistiche per la tutela e la valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale del nostro paese.

The conference, open to the public upon registration, is dedicated to the figure of the Registrar and its ‘definition’ in the museum context. Collection and Exhibition registrars and the professional figures working with the Registrar will present the peculiarities of this figure: the curator, the architect, the insurance broker, the shipper, the restorer and the director who shares with him the responsibility for the security of works of art.
The Registrar is the ‘filmmaker’ of an exhibition and has the task of organising and overseeing the aspects related to the management and handling of artwork. When he is in charge of overseeing the complex mechanism that moves around the loan of artwork the Registrar is called Exhibition Registrar, while when he is also involved in the inventorying and management of collections he is called Collection Registrar. The Registrar prepares the necessary documentation for an exhibition but also authorisations for the transport and insurance coverage of works of art. He may also offer the service of accompanying the work to other museums and participate in the compilation of the Condition Report.
The recent Decree Lgl. 1112 of the Italian Ministry of Culture on the professional order of the non-managerial staff of the same Ministry, clearly defines the access requirements, specific knowledge and tasks of this figure, which has been recognised for its importance within the technical-specialist professions for the protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage of our country.

The panel “How can insurers and institutions best cooperate” will feature an engaging dialogue between Iris Handke, Chief Underwriting Officer and International Business Manager at ARTE Generali, and Sara Mittica, Head of Collections Management at UCL Museums and Collections, University College London who will discuss effective strategies for enhancing collaboration between insurers and registrars throughout the exhibition and loan process. Key topics will include best practices for documentation and communication and the importance of planning, emphasizing the critical importance of comprehensive facility and condition reporting and how to streamline claims submissions. The discussion will also highlight the value of digital tools in optimizing workflows. Attendees will gain valuable insights to improve operational efficiency in their institutions.

In this session, Marthe Kes and Margot Leerink (registrars Incoming loans, Rijksmuseum) will present the toolkit for transport tenders, a project initiated by the European Registrars Group and a collaboration between the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen. Birgitte Verheul (Kortmann Art Packers & Shippers B.V.) is invited to discuss best practices in working together with the transport agent. Attendants will be invited to share experiences and thoughts on tendering and the toolkit.

This presentation will give a unique insight, from a Registrar’s perspective, into the Beirut Glass Research Project, a successful collaboration between the British Museum and the Archaeological Museum in Beirut, part of the American University of Beirut.
On the evening of 4 August 2020, a man-made port explosion devastated the city of Beirut. The Archaeological Museum’sRoman and Islamic glass gallery’s collection of archaeologically significant glass vessels, which had survived for 2,000 years, was shattered in a matter of moments.
However, after the explosion, Curators at the Archaeological Museum managed to identify eight vessels that were salvageable and could be reconstructed. The British Museum secured vital funding to bring hundreds of fragments from these eight shattered glass vessels from Beirut to the UK to be sensitively reconstructed by the British Museum’sConservation Department and a Trainee Conservator from Beirut. The eight reconstructed glass vessels were then exhibited in the British Museum for three months, before they returned home to Beirut for public display in the permanent glass gallery at the Archaeological Museum in Beirut.
The talk will tell the story of the journey of these vessels and how the loans administration was tailored specifically for them. The project’s key milestones will be explained step by step with particular focus on the central role of international collaboration and the extraordinary efforts of colleagues in Beirut and London to preserve and share knowledge of one ofthe world’s richest collections of ancient glassware.

Most fine art logistics companies will tell you that invisibility is their superpower. When an exhibition opens, few people understand the meticulous months of planning and preparation that go on behind the scenes. On this panel, several leaders in the art logistics field will discuss the global network and association of fine art shippers who assemble to move art seamlessly across the globe. Their war stories of shipping cultural artifacts and masterpieces will unveil the remarkable unseen world behind shipping international fine art exhibitions.

Fire risks pose a significant threat to cultural institutions’ collections.
To improve preparedness and mitigate damage, a comprehensive safety plan should be adopted with a complete operations plan that outline procedures for responding to fires. Collaborate with experts and conduct regular self-assessments to identify risks To minimize damage in case of fire, water or smoke and soot hazards, priority should be given to using passive protective covers with an aluminized material over traditional fire resistant materials.
These lightweight covers reflect up to 99% of radiant heat away from artwork, providing superior protection. During fire exercise, those covers have been shown to allow the artwork to stay below 40°C and thus providing maximum protection in an environment that can reach more than 500°C.
By implementing these strategies, cultural institutions can mitigate fire risks and preserve valuable artifacts.
Additional measures, especially operational aspect and ease of handling are key at the time of using this material in an emergency, making passive cover a practical solution for cultural institutions.
Proper training is required to optimize use of covers during an emergency and should be done on a regular basis in institutions.
This workshop, conducted in collaboration with a Registrar from a cultural institution, will provide valuable insights into emergency plan development and preparedness. The Registrar will share feedback and experiences, including the use of materials like heat protective covers.