Registration of work

Registro de las obras

The works in the Collection follow a rigorous inventory procedure upon arrival at the Museum, in addition to being subject to a detailed photographic report on their conservation status. After being assigned a unique and non-transferable registration number, each work is photographed and a set of standardised data is collected, such as the author, title, creation date, technique, dimensions, provenance and value. This information is legally registered in the Museum’s registration book and is systematically entered into the Collection management database. 

The next step is cataloguing. Contracts and legal acts, the protection regime currently in force and other information or studies related to the work, such as installation instructions, management of exhibition or reproduction rights, in which exhibitions it has been shown or in which catalogues or books it has been reproduced.  

The systematisation of information allows us to identify the works that constitute our fonds, recover them and ensure their preservation for future generations


Installation

Some works in the Collection require a complex installation process. Teamwork collaboration between different Museum departments makes it possible to exhibit them with preventive conservation fully guaranteed. The Curatorial, Registration, Conservation-Restoration, Audiovisual and Architecture teams are coordinated. Taking as reference the instructions provided by the artist, Architecture draws the necessary plans, Conservation-Restoration determines the preventive conservation needs during the installation and exhibition period once the state of conservation of the work has been evaluated. Audiovisual personnel, electricians and other technicians also intervene in some cases. 

Once the manner in which the work will be exhibited is agreed with the Collection Department, its installation is carried out by specialised technicians and other professionals specific to the installation of the piece. In the case of audiovisual works, the Audiovisual team transfers the files to the formats necessary for their reproduction or visualisation. 

After installing a work in the Museum for the first time, a document is prepared with the installation instructions taking into account all the agents involved. This document serves as the basis for future presentations at MACBA and other institutions. 

Instalación en el museo
Instalación en el museo
Instalación en el museo
Instalación en el museo

Storage

The Logistics and Registration Department of the Museum manages the movement of works, including pieces that have recently been acquired or are part of the Collection and being lent to other institutions. Once in the Museum, these works have to be stored in special reserves. 

The reserves are warehouses sectorised according to typology, format, materials and supports, with equipment adapted to the needs of preventive conservation to guarantee the permanence of the works. 

The Museum has reserves of two-dimensional and three-dimensional large-format works, objects, works on paper, videos and photographs. Based on these typologies and needs, we determine different types of mechanical access to move the works and respect the floor support, while always maintaining traceability and safety control.

These reserves must be understood as the true instruments for managing the Collections, their conservation and handling of the documentation, both for the Museum’s own works and those in transit. 

Almacenaje del museo
Almacenaje del museo
Almacenaje del museo
Almacenaje del museo
Almacenaje del museo
Almacenaje del museo
Almacenaje del museo
Almacenaje del museo
Almacenaje del museo