Collection Management

Collection management
for museums

Proven expertise in
artwork management and conservation

Collection management is the backbone of a museum. It involves a multitude of actions and highly specialised expertise (research, acquisition, preventive conservation, transport, storage, restoration, digitisation, documentation, and the mounting and protection of artworks).  

Developing suitable artwork management software for museum conservation

Today more than ever, the management of collections is at the heart of the challenges faced by museums. The need for virtual access and the growing demand for ethical and sustainable management must be considered by all museum experts.  We utilise our global experience and proven expertise in artwork management and conservation to guide our partners from artwork preservation to presentation. We assist museum professionals in the implementation of museum management software solutions tailored to their needs.  

Organisation and management of artwork installations

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Our team plans, schedules and manages the assembly and installation of objects for all exhibition and loan projects, using a robust methodology able to anticipate all possible scenarios right up to the completed installation of the exhibition. The procedure comprises coordinating transportation of the objects, preparing schedules, optimising the number of people present during installation, organising insurance and budgets, and coordinating with lenders, partners and service providers (haulage firms, display makers, lighting technicians, exhibition designers, etc.). This operational planning is made possible by a long-standing relationship of trust between France Muséums and its network of partner institutions.  

We provide sustainable methods for the storage and presentation of artworks, including guiding our partners in designing sustainable spaces, repurposing materials and finding recycling solutions.  

Innovative collection & loan management strategy

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We provide cutting-edge and sustainable practices for packing, transporting and displaying collections. Our teams coordinate the international transfer and installation of loaned works and manage all operations relating to their installation. Our years of experience and levels of excellence demand that we carefully monitor loans before, during and after transport. Every year we handle over 1000 moves, including of major masterpieces from international and French national collections.  

We continuously monitor the museum management software on the market to identify innovative and efficient approaches to collection management, and guide museum professionals in the choice of the most suitable software to achieve their goals.  

Storage management for museums

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We vigilantly monitor the application of our clients’ storage strategies, from the creation of a dedicated space to the inventory of the collections. We advise our partners on optimal storage conditions in accordance with their specific constraints, including manpower, budget and space requirements. We manage the set-up of safe, systematic and secure storage areas with rigorous climate control.  

Our expertise also covers assistance in inventory management, item classification and collection handling for commercial, conservation and scientific purposes. We work with sustainable systems that improve data organisation and the maintenance of collection records for all museum objects and artworks.  

Organising and coordinating restoration work

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For each project, we advise institutions and owners on their choice of art restorers, we provide cost estimations and specific recommendations for conservation measures, produce condition reports, and conduct collection evaluations. We provide our partners with our international network of qualified restorers and conservators with whom we are in daily contact to determine the best art conservation and restoration approach for each project.  

Preventive conservation policies and emergency plans 

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Our network of renowned French museums and international partners allows us to conduct preventive conservation projects with dedicated teams and state-of-the-art expertise.  

Throughout the process, our team of experts provides complete support to the client. Our involvement starts before the transport phases by providing bespoke advice, ranging from packing solutions for travel crates to adapted mounts for objects. 

We also create Emergency Preparation and Response Plans, which we integrate into collections’ long-term management policies. Regarding preventive conservation, by providing precise conservation policies based on international standards, we are able to develop or evaluate emergency plans to protect collections and train specialist staff to implement them.  

We guide you in all your operations related to your collection

Discover our other areas of expertise
Strategic Planning Project set-up Project management Collection management