Decisions on housing objects is always a balancing act in which a conservator has to decide on the safest way to store an object within constraints regarding storage space, time, budget, environmental sustainability, and ease of accessibility.
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Objectives
Condition Assessment and Rehousing: Assess the condition and requirements of each object individually, then rehouse and pack them accordingly.Bespoke Packing and Storage Solutions: Develop and create custom-built boxes and crates in-house that meet conservation standards and ensure the safety of artworks.Logistics Coordination: Organize the safe, secure movement of artworks between inhouse storage areas and ensure necessary precautions are taken to minimize risks to the artworks and staff.Documentation and Tracking: Maintain comprehensive records of all object movements both within the gallery.Safety Protocols: Uphold high standards of safety in manual handling to ensure the well-being of employees and the physical protection of objects are prioritized.Communication: Maintain clear communication among conservators, art technicians, the Head of Collections, and the Registrar to foster transparency and facilitate decision-making and project progress.Organized Storage Layout: Ensure the storage facility layout supports efficient retrieval.Sustainability: Consider the project’s environmental impact and focus on reducing packing material waste. When choosing materials, balance the ecological footprint of production with the longevity and reusability. Opt for housing methods that can be reused, repurposed, or recycled. -
Housing
Archival folders made of acid-free tissue house artworks containing media that may be disturbed by the polyester’s static nature. Media of this nature is known as friable media. It includes artist materials that are powdery, dusty, and/or prone to crumbling off the support paper, such as pastels or charcoal. To prevent loss of media, the Hugh Lane Gallery aims to always store friable media flat and avoid using static storage or framing materials that may lift or smudge the media.Artworks that did not contain friable media are stored in polyester L-velopes. These transparent sleeves protect an artwork and allow it to be viewed without being taken out, but are open on two adjacent sides rather than just one, as you may see with trading cards or comic books. This allows an object to be more safely placed into the sleeve, provides more airflow, and prevents a microclimate from developing within the sleeve, which can cause an object to deteriorate faster.
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Packing for Relocation Between Inhouse Storage Areas
Trays to house artworks with friable media were created using foam core, with two thin strips of board attached to a larger base. This allowed artworks to be stacked on top of one another without being in direct contact and acted both as a transport and storage method. The trays were designed in three standardized sizes to fit into plan chests, taking up either a quarter, half, or full drawer. The foam board’s mild static characteristic keeps the archival tissue folder in place and prevents the object from slipping around on the tray when being carried, while the tissue folder prevents the static from offsetting the media.A long strip of archival box board was cut to wrap around a stack of these trays for transport. The board holds the stacks together and covers the two open sides of the trays. This board can be folded flat and stored away for future use.Artworks that were stored in polyester L-velopes were grouped by size and stacked between two Plastazote®-lined plastic corrugated boards. A strip of thicker Plastazote®, approximately the thickness of the stacked artworks, was placed between the boards at either end of the artworks to relieve any pressure caused by securing the package with tape. An impermeable backing was added to the sticky side of the tape in all areas where the tape could come into contact with the L-velopes to eliminate the risk of adhesive transfer to the artworks or their housing.Environmental sustainability was a key factor in this packing method for transport. The only disposable aspect was the two strips of tape that held the package of boards and artworks together. The two thicker strips of Plastazote® were made from offcuts from a different project, and the main boards are thin and store flat, so they can be stored without taking up much space and be reused indefinitely. Though Plastazote® and plastic corrugated boards are not the most sustainable in production and cannot be easily recycled, they are long-lasting if properly cared for, and this packing method requires less packing material than a traditional box. For these reasons, it was deemed a more sustainable option.It should be noted that the method and distance these artworks were moved had low risk factors. In other scenarios, this packing method may not be suitable.
