The museum registrar function: at the heart of the organisation of an international exhibition

Co-organised by Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and France Muséums, the exhibition “Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power” is being presented at Louvre Abu Dhabi from 29 January to 25 May 2025.

Spanning almost twelve centuries of history, the exhibition explores the regions of East, West, North, and South Africa through a range of themes, casting light on the multifaceted notion of power.

Going beyond the symbols of royalty, the exhibition points up the different manifestations of power in their political and territorial contexts. The inclusion of contemporary works throughout the exhibition also probes the continuity and interpretations of forms of authority down the ages.

THE CHALLENGES POSED BY AN INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION: A CULTURAL AND LOGISTICAL ISSUE

The exhibition “Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power” raises cultural, diplomatic and logistical concerns.

With a display space of 1400 m2, and 361 works presented, this is the first exhibition on such a scale in the United Arab Emirates. Twenty-five institutions are loaning works, including the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, the project’s co-organiser, which alone is lending more than 300. Major diplomatic loans are also being made by African institutions, strengthening cultural exchanges between the Gulf and the African continent.  

Given the cultural and diplomatic significance of this international exhibition, the project demands that a wide range of participants—curators, project managers, scenographers, graphic designers, lenders, transporters, mount makers, and technicians—are brought together to create a convergence between the objects exhibited and the narratives presented to visitors. To this purpose, the teams at France Muséums were mobilised to oversee the delegated production of the exhibition.

France Muséums orchestrated the many facets of this undertaking, including curatorial coordination and support, exhibition production, management of the exhibition design and mediation tools, such as signage, labels, audiovisual devices, the sound accompaniment, and a children’s visit. Furthermore, France Muséums coordinated the transportation and handling of the works, organisation of the exhibition catalog, and the training courses for Louvre Abu Dhabi guides. 

This article takes a particular interest in the logistics relating to the works involved. France Muséum’s registrar team worked closely with that of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac on coordinating the loans from French partner institutions, the transportation of all the works to Abu Dhabi and their installation, and monitoring their security and safekeeping for the duration of the exhibition.

THE REGISTRAR AND COLLECTION MANAGEMENT FUNCTION: A KEY ELEMENT OF SUCCESS

A fundamental aspect of the exhibition “Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power” is the meticulous and often unseen work of the registrars, whose pivotal role of coordination, counsel and risk assessment ensures the preservation of the cultural heritage.

The registrar is the intermediary between all parties concerned: the production team, the lender museum teams, the host museum, the scenography professionals, and the transportation and mounting companies.

COORDINATION

A veritable cornerstone of the project, the France Muséums’ registrar team has been active right from the get-go in organising the logistics of this exceptional exhibition.

Their function of coordination has been central to every stage of the project: during the organisation stages, installation of the works, and even after the exhibition opened.

On this project, the team was particularly involved in:

• Estimating budgets for transport, mounting, installation and insurance of the works,
• Coordinating loan requests and negotiating the associated agreements,
• Drawing up contracts for transport and mounting.

The team had to anticipate the complex technical and logistical difficulties linked to ensuring the security of the works, some of which had never travelled.

The registrars coordinated the entire transport chain for delivery of the artworks to Louvre Abu Dhabi. They were also responsible for coordinating the production of the mounts the exhibited artworks stand on, and ensuring the smooth flow of information between the scenographers, the curator, and the mount makers.

As the operational phases approach, the registrar team is responsible for the logistical and technical coordination of the project. For this exhibition, the team was responsible for drawing up an installation schedule for the 361 works selected over a three-week worksite, and for coordinating several teams working on site, as well as lenders, couriers and other service providers.

COUNSEL AND RISK ASSESSMENT

In addition to logistical coordination, the registrar plays a key advisory and previsory role throughout the whole project. The registrars at France Muséums work in partnership with the curatorial team to ensure the practicability of exhibiting the chosen artworks and to recommend specific measures based on their material condition, the transportation conditions, and their conservation requirements.

The wide range of materials exhibited in Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power—such as wood, plant fibers, ivory, and textiles—and the physical state of certain objects has entailed specific measures be taken for their transportation, installation, and conservation.

Preventive conservation arrangements are studied before the works’ installation to ensure their protection during the exhibition (e.g., reducing the most sensitive pieces’ exposure to light, the use of display cases for fragile objects, the installation of insect traps in display cases). The registrars also contribute to the assessment of design choices, notifying those responsible of any risks posed to certain works.

The role of the registrars at France Muséums does not end with the opening of the exhibition. Even after completion of the installation, meticulous monitoring is continued for the duration of the exhibition to be certain that the display conditions (temperature, humidity, lighting) remain optimal. France Muséums channels the requests from lenders regarding the supervision of their artworks and implements maintenance protocols with Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The final phase comes at the end of the exhibition, with the dismantling and return of the works to the lending institutions. This process calls for rigorous coordination to ensure that each piece is dismantled safely, transport conditions are respected, and returns are managed administratively. The registrar team takes care of every detail, ensuring that the works are returned to their original destination under the best possible conditions.

Over and above traditional functions, the registrar team at France Muséums plays a unique role in Louvre Abu Dhabi’s temporary exhibitions. It acts as solid bridge between the museum and its lending institutions, establishing a common language to align expectations, constraints, and the needs of all participants.

This intermediary role demands meticulous coordination: harmonising timelines, anticipating logistical and diplomatic requirements, factoring in specific characteristics of individual works and their lenders’ requests, while also respecting the exhibition’s scientific vision and narrative. Such planning and coordination of the entire value chain is enabled by a long-established relationship of trust between France Muséums and its network of partners.

The strength and value of France Muséums reside in its ability to bring together and generate a harmonised dialogue between all the stakeholders involved. By supervising each stage of the process, the registrars ensure smooth communication and the successful execution of large-scale projects, enabling international museums to fulfill their mission as international cultural crossroads.

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