Reformed Church, Baflo
PHOTOGRAPHER AJ van der Wal
Kirsten Trampedach (curator National Museum Copenhagen) shows the paper archives about murals to Annemiek Teesing.
PHOTOGRAPHER Bernice Crijns
Reformed Church, Church tower, 't Zandt
The working group of mural restorers on an excursion on the jetty in the church of 't Zandt
PHOTOGRAPHER Bernice Crijns
Project
Murals database; exploration and follow-up project
RIJKSDIENST VOOR HET CULTUREEL ERFGOED | RCE
Murals are unique and complex works of art, often painted on a large scale. Composed of multiple layers with different material properties, they are strongly influenced by the physical properties of the buildings they are painted on. Effective conservation of murals requires an understanding of the materials and techniques used, and of their architectural and art historical context. As such, mural research is challenging and inherently interdisciplinary. With the support of E-RIHS, an exploration was carried out in which national and international projects were analysed to learn how murals have been documented and recorded. The objective of this exploration was to determine whether a database could provide a solution to the problems faced by researchers.
There is no structured overview of murals in the Netherlands. The information that is available is fragmented and, in many cases, not digitally accessible. For example, the private archives of subject matter experts contain valuable information. This lack of overview and accessible information poses an obstacle to researchers. It is difficult to set conservation and research priorities without a complete picture of the available murals and their condition. The latter is especially worrying. The exploration includes surveys of prospective users of the potential database, as well as an inventory of existing best practices and potential partnerships. Besides a final report, the exploration also produced a prototype website. Potential registration fields were collected, including a preference selection. The report contains plans of action for subprojects and concrete follow-up proposals that could form the basis for a comprehensive mural database:
— Establish protocols and guidelines for uniform mural registration and documentation.
— Link material-technical data with art historical and built heritage information to create a holistic picture, in collaboration with DANS. It is important that restoration reports are also included, as these provide insight into previous restorations and damages.
– Include murals in and on nationally listed buildings via Linked Open Data in the Cultural Heritage Agency’s Wikibase.
E-RIHS will support one of the proposed subprojects. To start the process of recording murals and making this information accessible, the restoration and material-technical data on murals in 13 churches in Groningen is being documented. The earthquake damage to these churches necessitates extensive research and restoration work, and the data this produces will be recorded.
The exploration has provided important insights, and the follow-up project will form the basis for the further development of a coordinated, multidisciplinary and international approach to the conservation and study of murals. Setting up a standardised registration format and choosing to work with Linked Open Data/Wikibase will be crucial in this context.