It will be 1 degree warmer in the public areas of the Pierre Lassonde pavilion at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec this summer. Little perceptible to visitors, this change is part of a global reflection led by major museums on their energy consumption.
In Europe, the renowned Guggenheim Museums in Bilbao and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam have relaxed their standards to allow a wider variety of temperatures and humidity levels in some galleries, which, reports New York Timesallows them to save thousands of euros per month.
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In the United States, around sixty Californian museums adhere to PST Art’s climate impact program, which encourages institutions to minimize their environmental impact.
The idea that works of art and artifacts should be preserved under extremely controlled conditions is relatively new. Since the publication in 1978 of The Museum Environment by curator Garry Thomson, major museums have begun to apply strict control of climatic conditions, i.e. a temperature of 21°C (plus or minus 1°C) and a relative humidity rate of 50% (plus or minus 3%).
The objective was to protect the objects most sensitive to variations. In reality, if we have slight fluctuations, the vast majority of objects will not be disturbed.
Marianne Breault, preventive conservation advisor at the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI)
She adds that the standard of 21°C was suggested for the comfort of visitors. Thus, slightly reducing the temperature inside Canadian museums in winter would save energy while being beneficial for the collections.
Safe room for maneuver
Faced with the questioning of these standards by researchers, the ICC proposed to Canadian museums, around twenty years ago, more flexible guidelines which will also be updated soon. But most do not take advantage of these margins of maneuver considered safe for the works, according to Marianne Breault. “Precise control of the environment has become a quest for museums, a guarantee of excellence. It’s complex to combat this preconceived idea,” she notes. Especially since many collaborate with other international institutions for the loan of works.
“There is this game of who will do it first, but over the last ten years, we have seen a growing interest. With growing challenges and increasing energy costs, we must adapt. »
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The interior staircase of the Pierre Lassonde pavilion, at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec
In the province, the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec (MNBAQ), through its status as a state museum, was required by the provincial government to include energy saving in its development plan. action in sustainable development.
We believe that it is our duty to see in what ways we could relax these standards [de contrôle environnemental] without compromising the integrity of our collections. Research to this effect indicates that it is possible, depending on the nature of the works.
Annie Bérubé, project manager, special projects at MNBAQ
The institution has decided to review the relative humidity level in its exhibition rooms. Formerly set at 50%, it is now 45% in winter and 55% in summer, except when work lenders require the old standard. “It allows us to follow the changing seasons more naturally and reduce energy costs,” notes Annie Bérubé. These expenses (electricity and natural gas) represent approximately 2.7% of the MNBAQ’s total budget. The financial impact of this measure has not yet been quantified.
The museum also plans to reduce the air conditioning by raising the temperature from 21°C to 22°C in the public areas of the Pierre Lassonde pavilion. For the moment, the exhibition rooms are not affected, but the reflection continues.
The MMFA and the McCord Stewart Museum in reflection
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) plans to evaluate this year “very seriously” what it would entail to review the strict rules for temperatures and relative humidity in its buildings. “We have to evaluate the capacity in terms of the building and the machinery, and see the type of works we have in each room. Do we create a microclimate for certain works? Should we bring together works that are more sensitive in other rooms to be able to maintain other types of standards? », explains Carolina Calle Sandoval, head of exhibition administration.
The MMFA is also in discussions with other museums around the world to learn about their practices.
After taking steps to improve the energy efficiency of its two buildings, the McCord Stewart Museum is also considering environmental control.
“We are in the process of revising the range with which we are comfortable,” underlines Martine Couillard, head of government and institutional relations and co-responsible for sustainable development with her colleague Caroline Truchon. “We are trying to see if, for less fragile goods, we could relax the standards on some of our reserves. »
The reality of Quebec museums is different from that of European museums, which do not have to deal with our harsh winters, notes Caroline Truchon, senior project manager, Exhibitions. Moreover, the McCord Stewart Museum consumes more energy to heat rather than cool its spaces, with natural gas consumption being much higher in winter and practically non-existent in summer.
“We are really trying to think about how we can be more energy sober,” adds Caroline Truchon.