2024 Conference

SCHEDULE

PANOPTIKUM – Safe, Green, and Cost-effective Answer to Storage and Conservation Challenges of Polish Museums & Much More

4:00 – 4:30 p.m.

| Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 at The Broad

Polish museums store approximately 20 million museum objects. Only about 5% of them are exhibited; the rest remain in storage. Only the largest museums have safe storage space, and only a few have their own conservation and digitization labs. The cost of creating such a professional space for each museum is very high and not always justified. Hence, the idea of creating a common facility combining many types of high-level services available to all museums. PANOPTIKUM –– a competence center for museums –– is inspired by similar facilities operating in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland, and it is a response to the actual needs of Polish museums. The construction of PANOPTIKUM, located in central Poland on the outskirts of Warsaw, started in 2022, and the opening is scheduled for the beginning of 2026. The multifunctional facility will consist of storage space, conservation studios, diagnostic labs, as well as an educational and conference area. The building will meet high security standards and will be environmentally friendly. It is designed to ensure maximum reduction in energy consumption, so it is also cost-effective. PANOPTIKUM, as a branch of the National Institute for Museums, will provide a wide range of services for museums, and it can also serve as a safe haven in times of crisis. The project is financed from the national state budget and is in the process of applying for additional European Union funding.