NEMO training at the Louvre explored museums and the sustainable transition

On the first day, participants were welcomed by Hélène Vassal and Françoise Mardrus from the Musée du Louvre, as well as by Sergio Servellón, Board Member of NEMO and President of ICOM Belgium Flanders, and Julie Sissia from the Centre Marc Bloch. After an introductory presentation by Hélène Vassal, participants engaged in four different workshops, each moderated by experts in the field:

1. Societal responsibility and climate change
   Input and moderation by Clémence Gros, Project Manager for Social Responsibility at the General Directorate of the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and Vincent Saporito-Seite, Sustainable Management at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac.
2. How to develop international guidelines on climate change?
   Input and moderation by Hanna Belz, Sustainability Manager at the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Berlin, and Sina Herrmann, Project Director for Climate Protection and Sustainability in Museums at the German Museums Association.
3. How can working groups strengthen international networking?
   Input and moderation by Estelle De Bruyn, Leader of the NEMO Working Group SAC! (Sustainability and Climate Action) and Head of the Sustainability Unit at KIK-IRPA, and Annelies Cosaert, Sustainability Unit at KIK-IRPA.
4. How to integrate eco-transition into institutional governance?
   Input and moderation by Ann Bourgès, General Secretary of ICOMOS France and researcher at C2RMF, and Hélène Vassal, Director of Collection Support at the Musée du Louvre.

In the afternoon, the group had the opportunity to visit the C2RMF (Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France), where Juliette Rémy, Head of the Preventive Conservation Department, provided valuable insights into the challenges of sustainable conservation. This was followed by a lively discussion during a visit to the exhibition Urgence Climatique (Climate Emergency) at the Cité des Sciences, guided by Adrien Staettler, the exhibition curator.

On the second day, the group went on an excursion to the Louvre’s 215,000-square-foot storage facility: the Louvre Conservation Center in Liévin. Marie-Lys Marguerite, Managing Director of the Louvre Conservation Center (CCL), gave fascinating insights into this special space, including a behind-the-scenes tour. The day ended with an inspiring visit to the Louvre Lens.

At the workshop NEMO shared its various resouces on museums and climate action:

• NEMO's WG Sustainability and Climate Action (SAC)
• Report Climate protection in museums
• Report  Museums, Climate and Politics - Taking political action in the sustainable transition
• Report Museums in climate crisis
• NEMO's Webinars on Sustainability with Henry McGhie and Tabea Leukhardt
• Several of the panels and speeches from NEMOs European Museum Conference 2023 'and… ACTION! Museums in the climate crisis'
•  NEMO's mapping for climate action in museums

More about the Louvre Conservation Center in Liévin and Louvre Lens

The Louvre Conservation Center in Liévin is one of the largest conservation and restoration facilities for artworks in Europe. Spanning 215,000 square meters, this centre houses artworks from the Louvre’s collections, which are preserved and restored in optimal conditions. The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and workshops, allowing conservators to work with cutting-edge techniques while maintaining traditional expertise. The facility exemplifies the Louvre’s commitment to blending modern methods with time-honoured knowledge, all while upholding the highest environmental standards.

Louvre Lens, located in the northern French city of Lens, is a branch of the renowned Musée du Louvre and is celebrated for its innovative architecture and exhibition philosophy, which emphasises the integration of art and the environment. Louvre Lens is an exemplary model of contemporary museology, focusing on both the presentation of art and the sustainable management of exhibitions and collections. It hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions that bridge historical and contemporary art, while also promoting regional culture and international exchange.