New tools for the management of art collections and temporary exhibitions: uses of the Tablet PC in preventive conservation

Jordi Font Arnó Conservation and Restoration Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona

Embracing new technologies to optimize work processes is a clear objective to many institutions. Concepts such as liveliness, versatility and accessibility stand out in art collection management. The art conservator-restorer’s methodology should adapt to this process and for this purpose the Tablet PC offers excellent results. This article is aimed at spreading its possible applications in preventive conservation field.

PERMANENT COLLECTION

Since its opening in 1995, the MACBA (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona) permanent collection has been extended progressively to gather more than 3800 works of art. The volume and diversity of works generates a great amount of paper documentation such as conservation status reports, intervention memories, photographic documentation, setting-up instructions as well as other documents related to the artwork.

The recent implementation of MuseumPlus¹ as integrated museum management system enables to look up all the information about each of the works of art. However, the paper documentation generated by the Conservation-restoration Department remains separate to this process. In fact, this is the reason for digitalizing all these documents.

All data related to collection conservation, new acquisitions as well as artwork loans should be directly created in electronic format in order to be linked to MuseumPlus management software. Therefore, it becomes immediate-access information.

It is important to implement new mediums that integrate into automatization and that make working easier, more comfortable and also sustainable.

1. MuseumPlus is a software programme for museum management specially designed for multifaceted tasks taking place every day in museums and in managing collections. It is implemented in 10 countries and it is currently available in 8 languages. The collection module makes possible the scientific documentation of very complex collections. In addition to this module, it also offers modules for exhibition, event and address management as well as photo management and marketing. For this reason, MuseumPlus is a complete tool, since it gathers all the heterogeneous tasks that are generated in museum management

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

Through its temporary exhibitions programme, MACBA has developed a distinctive artistic discourse that it is also reflected in its permanent collection. To the original building designed by Richard Meyer, new exhibition spaces have been added such as the chapel of the Convent dels Àngels and the CDOC building (the MACBA Study Centre).

Figure 1. View of MACBA and Plaça dels Àngels

The museum’s activity brings every year hundreds of artworks and documentation from other artistic centres together.

Registering the incomings and outgoings of pieces requires precise and rapid performance carried out by art conservators and registrars working in close collaboration.

The interaction of art couriers accompanying most of the works and the creation of conservation status reports for each of these pieces ensure their individual control and offer the necessary guarantee to lender centres.

Within this framework and thanks to one of the Conservation-Restoration collaborators, there came the idea of creating the conservation status reports by using a Tablet PC unit. Since its experimental use for the exhibition “Disydances, Nancy Spero” in July 2008, the application of this system have increased, creating favourable working dynamics.

THE TABLET PC

A Tablet PC is halfway between a laptop and a PDA, where on-screen writing is possible with the use of an specific stylus.

Some models are only equipped with a touchscreen resembling a whiteboard thus being very light. There are also laptop computers with keyboard and mouse, the so-called convertible, allowing screen rotation to emulate a whiteboard for their use as Tablet PCs. This second model is recommended due to its versatility.

The special software included in the operating system allows handwriting, freehand note-taking and drawing on any type of digital document.

This device is also equipped with handwriting recognition that enables to write on the screen instead of using the standard keyboard for text input.

Figure 2. Tablet PC unit

Tablet PC applications to conservation and restoration

The variety of conservation report models is very large. The goal of each institution is to use those which best fit work typology and working dynamics.

MACBA’s conservation reports are based on Microsoft Office Word templates. Temporary Exhibition produce a large volume of information that is administrated through the museum’s database. Once, the basic data (author, title, year, photograph…) from each work in the exhibition is informed on the system, the museum IT team transfers this information into each conservation

status report. Once this is done, direct work can be performed on the digital media with the use of the Tablet PC in the same Microsoft Office Word format². The electronic stylus allows to make some handwritten notes on the report in any colour or line thickness and to erase by using the digital eraser if necessary.

The photos taken during the piece’s examination can be loaded onto the Tablet PC via USB port or SD card slot. Afterwards, to organize them into folders or insert them onto the report to make handwriting notes just takes a few seconds.

Figure 3. Working process using a Tablet PC

2. The Tablet PC uses Windows Journal as default writing pad. To share these files with users that do not have Tablet PC, they have to be exported as MHTML documents, TIFF images or turned into PDF. This is why we prefer not to use this software and to work with Microsoft Windows Vista straight away. This allows us to use a basic device for handwriting notes in Microsoft Office programs and to avoid file conversion when its necessary to work with other units that do not have Windows Journal software installed.

During the setting-up of temporary exhibitions, the work with the couriers accompanying artwork proves to be easier. The fact of having a Tablet PC makes possible to look up and insert images, to make notes and even to digitalize the reports the courier carries in order to organize them into digital files or to copy them in a Microsoft Office Word document.

The courier signs the report on the screen and finally, a digital or a printed-out copy if preferred, is given. At the same time, having WIFI connection available at the different exhibition spaces makes it possible to send this documentation directly to her or his email address.

Some of the advantages and features of Tablet PC versus traditional working method are as follow:

- Instant search of documentation - Portability and mobility - Sustainability due to paper and ink saving - Writing on texts and photos with different colours and line intensities - Possibility to correct data by means of the digital eraser - Immediate management of photos taken during examination - Simplicity in storage and spread of obtained documentation

The Tablet PC has become a basic tool for the Conservation-restoration Department. At present, it is also used by couriers accompanying collection pieces and in the setting-up of the travelling exhibitions produced by MACBA in collaboration with other art centres.

The interest that this working method has arisen among our colleagues leads us to spread Tablet PC features and to recommend its use.